


The Dragon's Daughter

by ginnekomiko



Series: Nothing is Fair in Love or War [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-06 10:23:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 40
Words: 67,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3131057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnekomiko/pseuds/ginnekomiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of my two playthroughs of the main campaign of Fire Emblem: Awakening. The story of a girl with no memories and the man who says he's her brother. What starts out as a simple border war becomes something much bigger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_She followed obediently behind her commander, moving quickly to keep up with his long strides. Today was the day they would kill the Mad King. Today was the day this war would end. She kept her eyes focused on the commander's back. She had to look ahead. He chose her for this. Everyone else was counting on them._

_The king was not surprised by their visit._

_"Have you finally come to kill me, dear?" the mad king asked with smirk. His eyes did not leave her once._

_The commander charged foreword. That was her cue. She put everything she had into one spell. Skillfully, he dodged the stream of thunder magic. The impact of it left a hole in the Mad King's stomach. While the king was dazed, the commander jumped up and sliced off his head. It rolled by her feet. The king's blank black eyes stared up at her, his mouth frozen forever in a smirk. She kicked it away with her foot._

_The commander put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't look so glum, because of you, this war is finally over. You should be proud. I knew I could count on you!"_

_She could not look back._

_It was easy to generate the small spark of thunder magic without him noticing. While in camp, she made a big show about needing the tomes to work her spells, but this was a power she had known all her life. With his guard down, the commander fell just as easily to the unexpected blow._

_Still, he looked her in the eyes and said, "This... this isn't your fault."_

_She let his body drop to the floor and then kicked the legendary sword away from his corpse._

_She approached the Mad King's body and removed the crown from his head. A bit bloody, but it would do._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Was it a dream or...?

She felt herself floating. Just what... was that?

"Should we do something? She looks like she's having a nightmare," a sweet, and concerned voice said in the ether.

"Who sleeps this heavily mid-day?" said another voice.

It was _him_. She felt her hand reach out. She awoke more fully at a gentle touch to her shoulder. "Hey, there are better places to sleep than in a field, you know."

The girl drew back sharply. “Chrom?”

"You know me? Have we met?" he asked.

The girl bit her lip. Her head throbbed.

"Here," Chrom said as he helped her to her feet.

One of his companions looked concerned. Her healing staff was at the ready, but she still clutched it like a weapon.

"Miss, how did you end up here?" Chrom asked.

She looked to the side. "I don't know..."

"Well, what were you doing before this?" he prompted.

She shifted down to her feet. "I don't know that either..."

"This is promising," a large knight on a horse muttered.

"Oh! I've heard of this!" the healer said. "Chrom, I think she has amnesia!"

"And she very possibly could _not,_ Lissa," said the knight.

The girl bit her lip harder to try to dull the pain in her head. The field was too open, and the knight could easily catch up with her if he rode the horse, so just running was out of the question.

Fate, it seemed, had other plans.

"Chrom! That village is on fire! I think it's being raided by bandits!" Lissa cried.

"Frederick," said Chrom to his knight. "You go ahead and report what we're dealing with; Lissa and I will be along shortly."

"As you wish."

"What about her?" Lissa asked.

"She's not on fire, so she's fine!" Chrom said as he took off at a run. "You stay there, miss. We'll be right back!"

"I... I want to help!" she said as she ran after him. "Look! I have a sword!"

"Can you _use_ it?" he asked as he glanced back at her.

"Probably? Oh! I see the bandits! They're in the center of town! They outnumber us, but we can take them as long as we don't get surrounded!"

"You can tell that?" Chrom asked.

"I... I can see the tide of battle...somehow."

Chrom laughed. "Fine, but be _careful_. Stay behind me, okay?"

"Right!"

While Chrom challenged the leader of the bandits, one of his underlings was sneaking around the alleyways of the town. He looked like a sell sword. If he got to close to either Chrom or Lissa... Something crackled in her hand. "Oh no you DON'T!" She let loose a stream of thunder, stopping the man in his tracks. "Ah, that's right. I can use spells! But then, why do I even _have_ this sword?"

"Chrom! That was an assassin!" Lissa exclaimed.

Chrom looked the charred man over."Huh. I suppose I owe you thanks for watching my back, little lady."

“Um, my name is Viola," she said. "I’m a… tactician. I think?”

“Viola, huh? It must be foreign," Chrom said. "That shade of black isn't a common hair color around these parts."

"It isn't?" Viola said as she ran her fingers through one of her pigtails.

"So now you remember your name and your station, anything else?” said Frederick.

Viola shook her head. “No. It’s still a big blank, like an empty page.”

“Yet, you were able to recall my name," Chrom smirked. "Interesting. You seem strong, despite your size, little lady."

"What's wrong with my size?" she demanded. "I'll have you know I'm sixteen! Oh, hey! I remembered that too!"

"Nothing!" Chrom paused. "Wait, you're only a year younger than me?! I thought you were younger than Lissa!"

Chrom was bonked over the head by Lissa's staff."My brother has no tact," Lissa said with a sigh. "Hold still while I check for wounds, okay? Viola, what do you think about becoming a shepherd?”

"You tend sheep?" Viola asked as she spread her arms out.

"Of a sort," said Frederick.

"But what was I...?" Viola shrugged. "Ow! Shouldn't have done that! I guess if I remember, I'll just pick up where I left off. For now though, I'll help you tend to your sheep!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viola meets the rest of the "shepherds."

Frederick explained that the names of the other shepherds were Sully, Virion, Stahl, Vaike, Miriel, Kellam, and Sumia. Two were on horseback, like himself, one carried an axe, another was a mage, and yet another was in full battle armor.

"Just what kind of sheep are you tending where you need axes and full battle armor?" Viola asked. "My mother never tended sheep like that!"

"Your mother?" Lissa prompted.

"Oh, at least, I think that woman in my mind is my mother," Viola let out a long sigh. "This is all so confusing."

When they came back to camp, a girl ran up to greet them, but tripped and fell on her face.

"Commander! Welcom-UMPH!"

"Hi, Sumia," said Chrom with a smile. "You know, you should really get better shoes."

"It's not the shoes," Frederick whispered in her ear. "She's much better in the air than on the ground."

Sumia smiled, despite the dirt on her face. "Oh, hello! You're a new face!"

"Hello," Viola said, trying to fight the urge to hide behind Fredrick's horse.

"Sumia, this is Viola. We found her while patrolling the border. She's going to be our tactician." Chrrom said.

"Her memory is hazy, though," Lissa added.

"Oh wow!" Sumia said as she clapped her hands together. "So you're going to help us strategize? That'll be great! And it's always nice to have another girl in the group. Welcome to the team, Vi!" Everyone stared blankly at her for a moment. "What? Do you not like it?"

Viola shook her head. "No, it's fine. Someone... someone called me that before. Does that mean you want to be my friend?"

"Bingo!" said Sumia. She grabbed her hand. "Come on, Vi! I'll show you aroun-UMPH!"

"Seriously," Chrom said. "Get. Other. Shoes."

Sumia smiled sheepishly. "I really regret telling him it was my shoes. He says that almost every day now. Oh!" she was surprised to feel herself being lifted off the ground by a gentle breeze. "You can use wind magic, but where's your tome?"

"Oh, uh, little spells like this don't require tomes?"

"I see! How cool! Thank you, Vi!"

So _that_ was what the strange book in her bag was for. Something told her she needed to see Miriel right away and get this whole magic thing figured out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viola goes to Miriel for magic advice.

Viola paced outside the tent of the Shepherd's mage. Could someone like Miriel really help her understand her magic, or would she become afraid like... so many others?

"Is someone outside?" Miriel called.

A chill ran up Viola's spine. So much for stealth. "Um! Miriel? Can I talk to you?"

"Oh, come on in, Viola."

Viola sighed with relief. Miriel had an air about her that made her nervous, but now that it was just them, she didn't seem as scary.

"How can I help you?" Miriel asked. She motioned to a large chair in the middle of the room. "Sit, please."

"Well, I had a few questions about magic, actually. To start, how long have you had your magic for?"

"All my life."

"Oh! And can you cast spells without tomes?"

Miriel shot her a look. "I can, but doing so tends to hurt the body more. Have you been doing that a lot?"

"Not a lot, but I didn't remember I had a tome in my bag."

Miriel adjusted her glasses." I see. Well as long as you didn't hurt yourself. A little natural magic is fine. Basic spells like thunder, fire, and wind, won't harm you much. You may suffer slight burns or a prolonged tingly feeling in your fingers, but no lasting damage. The El spells are much less forgiving without a tome. Elfire and Elthunder can burn the castor badly and Elwind can slice unprotected hands. Some careless mages have lost fingers or damaged their arms so badly they can no longer cast. Heed this, you absolutely _must not_ use an arc spell without some kind of tome."

Viola nodded solemnly. "Got it. Thank you for telling me all this."

"Not a pro- UGHHHH."

"What's the matter?"

"That oaf forgot his axe again!"

Viola's eyes shifted to the massive axe that was leaning up against a pile of books on a small work space. "Is that... Vaike's?"

"Yes it is."

"Didn't he go with the commander on the mission this morning?"

"Yes he did."

"Should we...?" Viola began.

Miriel grabbed the axe with relative ease. "Yes. If you don't mind, I'd prefer the company to trying to watch my own back."

"Of course!"

"He _owes_ me for this!" Miriel muttered. "This is the third time he's left it with me! Oh, Viola, you can have those gloves at the desk. I bought them for myself, but they don't feel right. They should help protect your hands while you cast."

"Oh! That's very kind of you, thanks." Viola paused. Third time? Was something... going on between them?

"Say, Miriel, are you two...?"

"He's a test subject," Miriel said without missing a beat. "His technique baffles me, so I mean to dissect his methods."

"It's okay, I think Vaike baffles everyone?"

Miriel laughed loudly at that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sumia and Viola do some training and come across a tender moment.

"Vi!" Sumia called when everyone returned to camp. "Will you train with me today? I want to get this girl used to the flow of battle," Sumia said as she patted her Pegasus's neck.

Viola nodded. "Sure. I want to test out these new protective gloves Miriel gave me."

"Great! Only, no wind spells, please!"

"Don't worry, I'll tone it down. I don't want to hurt either of you."

Sumia sighed with relief. "Thanks. Let's go to the training ground!"

"Oh, right now? Okay."

Sumia climbed into the Pegasus's saddle. "Alright, girl! Let's go!"

Frederick was right; Sumia was much more graceful in the air then she was on the ground. She controlled her mount with a gentle ease. Sumia had a surprising amount of strength in her arms, all of her movements seemed fluid.

"Boop!" said Sumia with a smile as she gently poked Viola with her dummy lance.

"Oh! We were starting? Sorry! I got distracted watching you fly like that. It was really... pretty."

Sumia laughed merrily. "I'm ready to start now!"

Viola pulled out her tome from the bag at her side. The spell book was thick and heavy in her grip. Truthfully, she wanted to free up her hands, but Miriel would scold her for sure if she neglected to use it.

First, she had to bind the tome to her own magical signature. Just a pinch of her magic would link her will to the pages. If she knew which spell she wanted to use, the book could turn to the proper incantation and then she could summon the spell from the tome. Well, at least the tome seemed to accept her magic. After she placed her hand on the cover, it opened with ease.

"Who is...Grant?" she murmured. She could have sworn that name was inscribed on the first page of the tome. She must have been imagining it, because in the blink of an eye, Viola's name appeared. She rubbed her eyes to find her name still there.

She decided to start with a small thunder spell. She put her hand over the page for Thunder and pulled the orb of electricity out of the book. The spell crackled in her hand, just as it had before. Viola wasn't sure if it was the gloves or the tome, but she felt nothing harsh from this spell and let it loose so Sumia could practice dodging.

The Pegasus bucked a bit at the oncoming spell, but Sumia regained control and swerved it to the side. The spell fizzled past them until it poofed into nothing.

Now for a Fire spell. As soon as Viola thought about it, the pages in the tome began to turn at rapid speed. She placed her hand upon the book again. This practice continued well into the afternoon.

She noticed Sully and Stahl were also doing drills on the field opposite of them. They often partnered for both missions and drills. Sumia liked to say they were made for each other. Viola watched them for a moment. They had become very in sync with each other lately. It was a curious thing. When Miriel and Viola caught up with the commander to return Vaike's axe, those two were nearly flawless in driving out the bandits.

Only now, their training had stopped.

Both of them had dismounted their horses, and Stahl in particular looked nervous. He had something in his hand that made Sully turn as red as her hair, but still, she looked happy. Interesting. What was that?

"Boop!" said Sumia as she poked Viola again with the training lance. "Vi! You're distracted again!" Sumia turned to see what had her attention. "Oh my gosh! Does Sully have on an _engagement_ ring?"

Viola bit her lip, too embarrassed to ask Sumia what it meant.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viola wakes from a fever dream and stumbles into a battle with the undead.

_The room had been forbidden to her for as long as she could remember. Mother warned them time and time again not to go down those stairs... but there was someone down there now. Someone tall, with a calming voice, but under his sleeve, he had a knife. Their face was obscured by the cloak that they wore. She remembered how she hid behind Mother's skirts. Mother only let that person into their house because she did not want to die by that knife._

_His voice echoed through the whole house._

_"Shadows the past, rise from the ashes of your graves. Warriors of bone and rotting flesh, hear my name and obey!"_

_Everything in the house began to rumble and crash all around them. Mother fell to her knees and sobbed._

Viola shot awake. A cold clammy sweat covered her body. Her head throbbed. What time was it? If Lissa was still awake, she'd ask for a heal spell for her head. She stumbled out of her quarters and checked the commander's tent. No one was in there. The bedding hadn't been touched since this morning. Were those three still out patrolling?

Pain shot through her head again as she staggered into the woods. Hopefully they weren't too far.

The all too familiar clang of steel against steel perked her to full attention. She picked up her pace, trying to stay as near to cover as she could.

Lissa was pinned to a tree. A man was defending her against... something that shambled, and stank like a corpse, but it was armed like a warrior and knew how to fight. The young man pushed the blade of the attacker back and delivered a decisive blow with... a very familiar looking sword. Judging by the stink in the air, there were more. She ran for reinforcements. Her head was killing her.

She chose to stay with Virion for this battle. Right now, she was in no condition to be anywhere near the frontline. It was taking all of her willpower not to vomit into the nearest bush.

"Don't worry my dear," Virion said as he readied an arrow. "It looks like this will be over soon." He watched his arrow fly. "Well! Not bad! If I do say so myself!" He glanced over at her. So much for willpower. She was hurling violently. "Oh dear. Here, Viola, darling; let me hold your hair back for you. Poor thing. Don't move. I'll go get Lissa."

She didn't begin to feel better until she was enveloped in a soft, familiar glow. "Thank you, Lissa."

"Silly, Viola. My brother will get mad when he finds out you came to battle with a fever. Still, you really saved us by bringing the others. I don't think that guy could have handled that many on his own."

"Who was that person, Lissa?" Viola asked through deep breathes.

"I don't know. I didn't get a good look at his face, but he had the name of the Hero King."

"Marth, huh?"

"You know of Marth?"

"Who _hasn't_ heard of Marth?" She said with a weak smile. She fell into Lissa's chest.

"Say Viola, how did you know to come and find us?" Lissa's voice began to trail off.

"... Bad dream. Felt sick and wanted... to find you and Chrom."

She felt someone pick her off the ground. That person wrapped her up in something warm and carried her back to camp. She felt safe and secure. Her mother always used to carry her to bed when she was sick or really sleepy. She remembered that now. She leaned into that person and listened to their heartbeat. She felt a hand on her head. It gently patted her until she fully lost consciousness.

When she asked Frederick about it the next morning, he answered her with a smug smile. "Oh, milord did that. He can't help himself when it comes to helpless things. He wrapped you up in his cape to keep you warm. You were shivering pretty badly. Come, Viola. We're going to the capitol today to tell the Exalt what we know."

Viola flushed. She should have guessed it was Chrom with how easily he lifted her. She'd think of a way to thank him later. "Say, Frederick, how come you call Chrom 'milord'?"

"Less talking, more walking, Viola," Frederick said. "Actually, hop on. It'll be faster if you ride with me."

"What? You mean the others went ahead?"

"Yes. Lady Lissa convinced her brother to let you sleep in. I trust you feel better?"

Viola hopped onto Frederick's horse. "Yeah. I do. Say, Fredrick, was Chrom mad at me?"

"A little. He was quite irritated at your blatant disregard for your health, but your action did help save him and Lady Lissa, so he didn't stay mad for long. Once Virion told him how you threw up repeatedly, and he saw your condition for himself, he completely forgot about being mad and wanted to help you feel better. He's like that."

Viola hid her head in her hands. "That's _right_! Arugh! I was completely useless!"

Frederick laughed. "Trust me, Viola; not one of the Shepherds thinks that. It seems fate was very kind to have you cross paths with us."

"So those things weren't... a nightmare I was having?"

"Sadly, no. Turns out they're very, very real."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frederick and Viola arrive at Yisstol. Surprises are in store for everyone.

They arrived in the capitol of Yisstol. It was a bustling town with a gentle air about it. Chrom and Lissa were waiting for them at the gate. Viola hopped of Fredrick's horse and walked in between the two of them. As they traveled further into the capital, more and more heads turned to look at them. Until finally, one of the palace guards said it as they entered.

"Ah, it's the Prince and the Princesses! They've returned! Someone tell the Exalt her siblings have returned"

Viola stopped walking and stared at the commander and his sister. Chrom and Lissa grinned sheepishly at her surprised expression. Frederick had to all but herd her towards the throne room, she was so shocked. "You mean you... you two are the prince and princess of the realm?" She murmured as she was pushed forward. "Then the sheep you were talking about were actually... these... Oh _Gods_!" she blushed beet red and scrambled to bow. "Highnesses, please forgive my rudeness!"

Chrom and Lissa laughed, and the Exalt smiled. "Oh my. You two never told her who you were?" she asked in a merry voice.

"No they didn't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to curl in a corner and let my shame consume me until I die," Viola muttered as she tried to duck away.

Chrom snatched her wrist."It's alright, Viola. I was never one for such formalities, anyway."

"Yeah!" Lissa said with a smile. "Hardly any of the shepherds treats us different than normal. What you've been doing is fine. We like it that way."

Viola bit her lip. "Okay, if you say so."

"We insist!" Lissa said.

"Lady Viola, thank you for protecting my siblings," Emmeryn said. Her gentle smile did not change, but her eyes studied her. "Where... exactly do you hail from?"

Somehow Viola knew that would come up. It always seemed to unless someone who knew her story jumped in first."I don't know. They found me sleeping under a tree and things sort of... fell together. You know how that can work out sometimes."

"Viola, you're uh, you're floating," Chrom said as he pulled her gently down to the ground.

"Oh gosh! I was in such a rush to catch up to everyone I forgot to put the weights around my wrist to stop that from happening! They must be still in my bag."

"Ah, so you have magic. Does it come from that mark on your hand?" Emmeryn asked.

Viola stood silent. No one in the shepherds had asked her that before, and with the protective gloves her hands were covered most of the day. Today was different because she knew they'd be going into town. She bit her lip again. "I um, I think it's a birthmark? Or maybe, I came from someplace that values tattoos. Does it mean something to you?"

Emmeryn shook her head. "Oh no. Please don't worry about it, dear. The design is striking, that's all. Anyway, Chrom, what did you have to tell me?"

Viola looked at the back of her hand, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Without another word, she walked behind Chrom and sat with her back to his legs so that she hid herself under his cape.

"Oh my," Emmeryn said with a small laugh.

"Ahem," Chrom said." Emm, we found some... disturbing things along the road."

"What kind of things?" she asked.

"We've been calling them Risen. They're kind of like reanimated corpses. Remember those supposedly blessed by the goddess Ashera in the Tellius legends? I think they're sort of like them. Viola, do you want to add anything?"

"I don't know," Viola's muffled voice said from under his cape. "As you recall, I was barfing in a corner during that battle."

"But you still seemed to sense them _somehow_ and... wait, why am I even trying to reason with you right now? Viola, come out from there this instant."

"No."

"No? What am _I_ supposed to do? I can't very well move freely with you this underfoot."

"I'll float. I can be your shadow."

"Oh no, I'm falling backwards!" Chrom said as he leaned back.

"Oh you are _not_!" Viola said.

"Yep, I'm totally falling backwards. Whoops!" Chrom said as he forced himself backwards.

A small rush of wind caught him and kept him upright. He looked to see Viola's eyes shut tight as she gently floated above his eye level.

"Got'cha," he said with a grin as he pulled her back down to the ground. "Thanks for rescuing me so valiantly, Viola. For now, I think it's a good idea if I keep a tight grip on you. I don't want you floating away from me."

"I'm sorry. I don't do well when I'm stressed, and your sister caught me so off guard! I panicked! Instinct took over, honest!"

"Instinct, huh?" Chrom murmured to himself.

"Don't worry Viola. I think Emm likes you!" Lissa said with a smile.

"What I want to know is how you fit _under_ my cape?" Chrom said.

"It was the only dark space I could think of to hide!"

Chrom laughed. "Warn me next time, okay? If you need me to be a shield, I'll gladly do it for you. I was just expecting to be it for battles, not... social situations."

"Chrom, thank you for helping me when I was sick," she said before she followed behind Lissa and ducked into a guest room.

It was sometime later when Chrom decided to track down his sister for advice. He checked for her in all her usual places. The last place he looked was the bathing area. "Hey, Emm, I had something I wanted to run by you..."

“AHHHH! I'M BATHING YOU IDIOT!” Viola screamed as she ducked to try to cover herself.

Chrom scrambled to get out of the way of the wind spell that was heading towards him. “I’M SO SORRY! I SAW NOTHING!”

"GET OUT! JUST GET OUT! GET OUT!"

Chrom panted heavily."How could I have been so stupid? Of course she'd be using my sisters' bathing area. And I just waltzed right in! Gods!"

"Sire, is something the matter?" Frederick asked. "You look flushed."

"It's nothing! I'm just a little warm, that's all! I'm going to go take a nice long walk in the night air!"

When he thought about it, Viola hadn't tried to cover her breasts at all. Instead, the thing she tried to shield from his sight was her back.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom is asked by his sister to enlist the khans for aide.

The next morning, everyone headed out to journey to Regna Ferox. Lady Emmeryn had asked Chrom to enlist the khans for aid.

"What kind of diplomacy would work best?" Viola asked as she walked between Chrom and Lissa. "I can't say I've heard of this region."

"In this place, the art of battle is how they do politics. Talking won't do much good, unless you have the strength to back it up." Chrom explained. He watched as Viola shifted to walking behind him. "Trying to hide behind me again?" he asked with a laugh.

"You've got the physical strength, not me," she said. "Besides, it's _cold_ with all this snow _._ You make a good wind block."

"Ah yes, that's me, prince, leader, blocker of wind."

"Better than being a bag of wind," she said with a smile.

Lissa laughed at that one.

Chrom was relieved at the banter. He had worried how Viola would react to that whole walking in on her in the bath thing. She was shy at first when he tried to talk about it, but after he explained himself and apologized, she smiled and forgave him. It was a relief; they still needed her strategies, and he did _not_ want the reason for her leaving to be because he accidentally peeped on her and made her uncomfortable. Gods, then Frederick would do one of his awkward "manhood talks" again.

"We're here," Frederick said as he stopped his horse. "This is the fortress."

"And it appears they locked the gates," Sully said she paced her horse. "They knew we were coming, right Chrom?"

"Yes... this is odd," Chorm said.

"Which one of you is the leader?" a voice called from atop the fortress.

"I am!" Chrom said strongly.

The sky darkened for a moment as javelins rained down upon them.

A sudden rush of wind pushed Chorm away. Then, a warm hand lifted him up into the air. "Sumia?"

"Don't worry, Commander, I've got you!" she said with a smile.

"Isn't that?"

"The Pegasus you found? Yeah. I've been working with her!"

Chrom looked down. A large chain of icicles protruded upward from the ground, tripping and maiming the careless mob of soldiers that attempted to surprise Viola.

"Wow, Vi's a pretty great magician! She's turning the terrain their familiar with against them."

"Someone had better get to her fast; she's too open standing there by herself." Chrom said as he leaned against Sumia's back and held on to her as she flew.

"Do you not like heights, Commander?" Sumia asked as she glanced back.

"Not particularly. I don't like flight."

"I see. Oh, Sully and Stahl are forming a barrier around Vi. Vaike's going, too. It looks like Frederick has made himself the main target while they set up the formation. She'll be okay if she stays behind the horses. Oh, Miriel is joining her in the back. Hehe, looks like Vi's getting scolded from her teacher."

"Thank you for rescuing me Sumia."

"Of course! Looks like Vi and I had the same idea about protecting you from those javelins. That wind she made really helped me grab you mid-air so I didn't have to dive down into the archers' line of fire. I'm going to land now. I'll swoop down from above and pick off any stragglers who try to run, but get rid of the archers, okay?"

"Right."

"Glad you're back, and unharmed, Milord," Frederick said as he charged a mercenary with his lance. "As you can see, negotiations are going rather smoothly for us. Oh, I'd duck, sir, Miriel's about to send a fireball this way."

Chrom ducked as a fire spell whizzed past him, crashing into an oncoming crowd of soldiers."Sumia asked me to take care of the archers."

"Oh, Stahl and I already did that," Frederick said. "Viola went to go signal Sumia that it was safe to land."

"What? What am I supposed to do now?"

"Be a diplomat."

"Ugh, how dull. I wanted to get some fighting in."

*

"Sumia! Are you alright?" Viola asked as she ran towards the Pegasus.

"Yeah, I'm fine! I stayed far away from the arrows! Great job on that blizzard spell! I bet it was even more massive on the ground level. I could see it from the air!"

"I'm glad you think so. Miriel was less thrilled. She came and lectured me during the battle. How was I supposed to know your body temperature drops when using ice spells? Anyway, I was just going to compliment your impressive maneuvering of your mount. That dive you did to grab Chrom was amazing!"

"Thanks. All that training we did together really helped! Oh, I think the commander worked things out with the guard! The gates are opening!"

"I hope it's warmer once we get inside, I'm freezing!"

"It's not just you, it's _cold_ ," Sumia said as she dismounted. She almost slipped on the icy ground three different times, but Viola's wind was always there to catch her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A deal is struck, and more surprises for everyone.

"Alright, which one of you louts cast blizzard on my men?" the woman called Flavia demanded, her eyes narrow.

Viola stepped forward, and tried to keep her eyes level with the much taller woman.

"You?" the West Khan said with a smile. "Such a tiny thing produced that kind of spell?"

Viola snorted. "I'm a tactician. There was a mob swarming me, the move was a simple one to make in the snow."

"Is he your commander?" she asked glancing back at Chrom.

"Yes, but the spell was my idea alone. As you'll recall, your forces tried to _murder_ him, so he was otherwise engaged."

"I didn't order that. I was only asking because he seems _antsy_." The khan smiled menacingly as she put a massive sword very close to Viola's neck. "I bet he thinks I want to kill you for what that spell did to my forces. After all, mages are notoriously squishy."

"I swear I'll set you on fire first!" Viola snapped.

Flavia laughed loudly. "I _like_ you! Actually, I was just testing you. I have a favor to ask of your commander."

Chrom swooped forward. He grabbed Viola's hand and pulled her closer to his side. He did not loosen his grip afterwards. "What do you ask of me?"

Flavia smirked at this. "I want you and, that feisty little tactician of yours, to be my champions. If your troops win me this next tournament, if you make me the head Khan, I will give you your needed aide."

"We accept," Chrom and Viola said together.

Flavia laughed loudly again.

Viola ducked her head as she left and would not look Chrom in the eye."Forgive me, I almost cost us an alliance."

"Do you really think that matters right now?" Chrom snapped. "Sorry, that came out wrong. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad you could have been killed back there."

"I really would have set her and fire and then made a run for it. Death isn't going to catch me anytime soon, I promise."

"Good. Anyway, I want to have a meeting with you, tonight. Meet me in my quarters about seven."

"Okay."

*

“Chrom? It's seven, are you in here?"

"Chrom?" she asked as she peeked into his bedchamber.

The man in the room turned at the sound of her voice.

That was _not_ Chrom.

"AAAH! You're a woman!" yelled the man.

"AHH! You're an assassin! " Viola screamed as she fired a wind spell at the strange man in the room. He went flying out into the hall.

“Huh? Viola! What's going on?' Chrom said as he rushed out of the bath.

"AAAAAAHHH!" Viola screamed again as she ducked and covered her eyes with her hands.

"GAH! HOW MUCH EXTRA STEAM ARE YOU MAKING?” Chrom demanded.

“ENOUGH SO THAT I DON’T SEE ANYTHING! I'VE ONLY EVER SEEN MY BROTHER NAKED!”

“DO YOU REALLY NEED TO THROW THINGS AT ME, TOO?” Chrom asked as he dodged the various objects flying at him via magical wind.

“I DON’T KNOW! THIS IS MUSCLE MEMORY!”

"Okay. I'm covered. You can calm down now."

She whisked away the extra steam with wind magic. "Forgive me! I'm so ashamed of myself!"

"It's okay; you were surprised. How about we keep this encounter between us and we'll call it even?"

"Thank you. Oh, I’m uh, sorry about your ear.”

“It'll heal just fine. During all of... _that_ , you mentioned a brother. I believe that's the first time he's come up. Is he older or younger than you?"

"Older. I think he's about two years older than me. I remember he always wanted to be a warrior; he had his sword with him constantly and was always trying to kill things with it. I wonder what he's doing now? We were nearly inseparable as children; I wonder what happened to us?"

"I'm going to change and get out of this muggy air. Wait for me by the table in the other room and we'll continue from there."

After he shut the door to his room, Viola hid her face in her hands "Why'd I have to meet him like that? I mean, that poster Fredrick made to raise morale was one thing, but!" she shook her head. "Don't go down this path! You know how Sumia feels about him! You'll only lose." She sighed. "Once I'm no longer needed, I'll go my own way. It's for the best."

"What's for the best?" Chrom asked as he reentered, fully-clothed.

"Oh, just mumbling to myself. I'm trying to figure out the best way to deal with the intruder."

"Did you catch him?"

"Oh, yes, I uh, stuck him to the wall via stun magic. I got distracted, obviously."

Chrom chuckled. "I say we leave him up there while we plan. Can you keep up the spell for awhile?"

Viola grinned slyly. "Oh yeah, easily. Oh, Chrom? He seems to be uneasy around women. Do you mind if I spend the night with you?"

Chrom covered his mouth before any sound of shock escaped." I um, I don't... mind."

"Oh good! In that case, I'm going to ask Sumia and the other ladies of our group to join me tonight. And of course I'll tell Frederick about this, hmm, who else should I ask?" Chrom left the table. Viola paused. "Um, Chrom is a thought stuck in your head? Or do you have another reason for banging it against the wall like that?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night before the arena fight.

"Thanks for inviting us," Sumia said as she entered Chrom's room. "Oh! Hi commander! Don't worry! We'll keep you safe."

"I'm not actually..." Chrom began.

True to her word, Viola brought Sumia, Miriel, Sully, and Lissa with her, and... _Frederick_?

"Why are _you_ here?" Chrom asked.

"As your knight and bodyguard, there's no way I'd allow you to be alone with all of the ladies of our troop." Frederick eyed Viola.

"What?" Chrom asked.

"Nothing."

"Don't worry, Big Bro! I'll keep you company tonight!" Lissa said as she hugged Chrom's arm.

"Thanks, Lissa, but you don't..." Chrom caught Sumia's eyes for a moment, but she hurriedly looked down at the floor and rushed away. It was going to be a long night.

*

"Yo Miriel, your watch is up," Vaike said.

"I'm fine to continue for awhile longer," she said.

"You sure? We've got a pretty big fight tomorrow."

"I'm not worried. Viola's strategy is a sound one."

"...You weren't picked to fight, were you?"

"I wasn't."

Vaike grinned."Don't feel bad, neither was Teach!"

Miriel sighed loudly."Honestly, _I_ am teaching her, not you. And it's not a question of favoritism. She's our tactician. She must pick out representatives for this fight very carefully. We _need_ to win this fight for the fate of our homeland. She almost didn't pick herself, but Chrom insisted she be on the team."

"A little gun shy after nearly having her head lopped off, huh?"

"Mages work best at a distance. Closed areas like arenas can be dangerous if they are not properly protected. Not all of us can just run up to a target and swing our weapon then see if we hit."

"You wound me."

"I see no such injury. Oh, did you see if Viola was actually asleep? She has a bad habit of not resting when she really should."

"Yeah, she's all curled up with Sumia on the floor between the door and Chrom's room. Looked comfy to me." He glanced at Miriel. "Hey, don't push yourself too hard, 'kay? Viola isn't the only one with brains in this army."

"I know that, but I'm not envious, if that's what you're thinking."

"Nah, you're not really the type to envy, that's too illogical for you," Vaike said with a grin. "Besides, you like her, right?"

"I suppose I do. She's a quick study and a good pupil, if a bit reckless with her own well-being. She's a fascinating subject to observe. It's as if her skills and her memories are not interconnected. She knows so much, and yet so little. Who is she really?"

"I think she'd like to know that, too. Want some company?"

"Fine, as long as you're not too loud. I am still on watch after all, and our fighters need to sleep."


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arena fight begins, and Viola borrows the moveset from another game.

"Chrom, Marth is here," Viola whispered as they entered the ring. "He's fighting for the other khan."

"Hmm. Maybe now we can get some answers from him."

Viola looked around."Looks like the East Khan relies mostly on swordsmen and lancers. It would be wise to keep our distance at first. She glanced at Flavia. "Aside from Chrom and myself, I want Stahl, Sully, Sumia, and Lissa."

"Done," said Flavia.

"Alright, but Viola, you're with me." Chrom said as he grabbed her hand.

"How come?" she asked.

"I just... I'd feel better if you were closer to me. You're good at watching my back with your magic. Besides, I might need you to strategize something specific for taking down Marth."

"Oh I see, that makes sense. Hey Sumia, do you mind being an aerial cover?"

Sumia shook her head."Not at all, Vi!"

"Alright. Chrom, can you distract Marth while the rest of us deal with the rabble?"

"Gladly. I want to cross blades with that boy. Don't stray too far from me, Viola."

"What are you, my father?" Viola asked. "Honestly. Sully, Stahl, don't let anyone get cornered, and keep Lissa safe."

"You heard the boss lady," Sully said as she readied her horse. "Stahl, you stay by the princess. I'll be the charger."

"Be careful," Stahl said.

Viola watched Marth fight Chrom. She paused as their swords crossed. _That blade. It couldn't be, could it?_

Marth stopped his attack, seemingly distracted. "Look out!" he called.

Chrom turned to look behind him. "Viola! Behind you!"

In a swift movement, Viola pointed her hands towards the ground."Elwind!" she called. The force of the wind spell rocketed her upward.

"Wow! Viola can fly!" Lissa said.

"I've never seen anyone do _that_ before," Stahl said.

As Viola was coming down, something swooped under her and she landed softly. "Got'cha!" Sumia said with a smile.

"Thank you, Sumia!" Viola said as she hugged her round the middle. "I _really_ didn't want to land on my head!"

"Silly Vi. Now, go back down there and help the commander win, okay?"

"Yeah, I'm going to fly again, but down this time."

"Vi! Wait a second! I can just-! And there she goes." Sumia sighed, and then shouted. "COMMANDER! VI TURNED INTO A TORPEDO!"

"Wha-?" Marth muttered as he glanced up. "Is she mad? At that speed, she'll kill herself when she hits the ground!"

"That means I have to stop you quickly then, doesn't it?"

"Chrom! There's an opening in Marth's stance, USE IT!" Viola called.

Chrom rushed in to block Marth's strike. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"My father taught me," Marth said. He glanced up. "She's coming down too fast!"

Viola readied her hands mid-air."Elthunder!"

Chrom barely dodged as the stream of lightning crackled and buzzed on its way down. Marth was stunned from the impact, allowing Chrom to knock the sword from his hands.

For a split second after he fell to the ground, Marth seemed to smirk. "Damn. I'm bested."

Chrom made a frantic dive to catch Viola before she landed. "Are you alright?" he asked. He spit out the dirt in his mouth.

"I am now. Remind me to never do that again." she said. "Ahh, my arms are all tingly. I think... I'm done with magic for the day."

"Can you move?"

"I think? Ah, ow, ow! How can I be both stiff and wobbly? I probably shouldn't move too much."

"Easy now. I'm not sure whether I should call you brilliant, or reckless for those unorthodox moves of yours, but we won!" Chrom said with a smile. He held her close. "Thank you, Viola."

"Um, you're welcome," she said as she tried to hide her blush.

"Oh, your hair," Chrom remarked.

Viola felt her hair to find one of her pigtails had come undone."Oh no! One of the ribbons must have fallen when I flew around. Where'd it go?" Viola hobbled off.

"I'll help you look!" Sumia said as she landed.

"Viola, you _just said_ you weren't going to move around!" Chrom called. He sighed. "Honestly."

"Hold still bro, your knees are all scrapped up after that epic dive," Lissa said.

"Oh hush."

"What? It was super heroic of you. Hmm, what's Marth doing?"

"Here, milady," Marth said as he handed Viola her the missing ribbon. "I found this near my feet when I collapsed. I assume it has some significance to you?"

"Oh thank you! Yes. My mother gave me these," Viola said as she redid her hair. "They're the only connection I have to her right now."

"I see." Marth said. "It's the same with my sword. It was my father's."

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask about that sword," Viola began. "It looks so much like the commander's, but it can't be the same, right?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer questions right now. I have something of great importance that I need to stop." With that, Marth darted out of the stadium.

"Ah, wait! Well, _that_ was no help."

"Here Vi, lean on me," Sumia said. "So, learn anything about Marth?"

"No and it's bothering me."

"Don't let it, okay? You pulled off some pretty amazing feats! You'll feel better once you relax. I'm sure of it. What do you say to some tea and a little read aloud session when we get back to camp? I think the next chapter is mine anyway. You can lie down while I read."

"That sounds so nice."

"Doesn't it? I can't wait to curl up with a warm blanket after all this snow. Oh, looks like the commander is having a meeting with the other khan."

"Over what, I wonder?"

"Everyone, meet Lon'qu," Chrom said. "He'll be joining us from now on."

" _You_ ," Viola and Lon'qu said together.

"Isn't that...?" Sumia began.

"The spy Viola stuck to the wall," Frederick finished. "Actually, he was a terrible spy."

"I wasn't spying!" Lon'qu snapped. "I was lost! Then that witch went and cast a spell on me."

"Watch your language," Sumia said as she glared at Lon 'qu.

"I'm sorry about that," Viola said.

"I'll accept your apology under the condition that you and all the other women in your troop, stay away from me!"

"Very well." Viola nodded. "We'll respect your boundaries, won't we ladies?"

"Of course," was the unanimous response.

"Only, is it acceptable to aide one another in battle?" Viola asked.

Lon'qu nodded."Yes. Just do not call on me needlessly."

"Understood." Viola bowed her head. "I really am sorry about overreacting before. I thought you were going to hurt our commander."

"Had I been asked to kill him, I would have, but now my blade is yours to command."

"Huh?"

"You're the tactician, correct? I'd imagine most of my orders will come from you or the tall one."

"That's correct. Welcome to the group. If you need me, I'll be napping this numbness off."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viola has an unexpected visitor.

Viola awoke from her nap to the soft rapping of her door.

"Viola, may I enter?" a voice asked.

Viola opened her door to find the Exalt standing before her. "Lady Emmeryn! I.. um, how did you? _When_ did you?"

"Oh my! I've made you nervous again. I apologize."

"It's okay! It's just... your you... and I'm in my night clothes, with my hair undone, and my space is a mess... but who cares right? Not me!" she said with an uneasy laugh. "Here, let me at least grab a robe..."

Emmeryn glanced at the small space. A cot was against one of the walls, all around it were piles and piles of books. They were strewn everywhere. Some were marked with strips of paper, while others were cracked open as if they'd been pushed off the bed in an effort to make room for Viola to sleep. She smiled to herself at the small stovetop in the corner. Mismatched tea cups were set on a small table that seemed to only be able to sit two.

"How can I help you?" Viola asked as she tied the robe shut.

"You know, it's a shame you don't have a proper dress that fits your figure a bit better than those concealing tactician robes. Forgive me, would you like some tea? I made some for myself without thinking. I was so impressed by your little make-shift stovetop. Do you use your magic to heat it?"

"Oh, yes I do, and I'll take a cup. I suppose I could buy a more proper dress, but what would I do with it? I can't exactly use it in battle."

"You could wear it to court. Here you are, dear."

"Eh, court?" Viola said as she sat on one of the chairs at the table.

"Yes. I'm saying you'd be welcome in our court, Viola. That is of course, unless you have other plans for when you stop being a shepherd."

Viola sipped her tea."I... haven't thought that far ahead."

"Let's play a game then, shall we? Let's pretend the battles stop. What would you like to do now?"

Viola thought for a moment before taking another sip. "Hmm... I'd like to continue to study magic, and see if I can find out more about myself, but as to where I'd be... and what kind of job I would hold... I know I'd like to read more. Sumia introduced me to some interesting books. They're more fantastical than informative, but I can imagine them just the same. Maybe I'll draw more too."

"Oh my, you draw?"

"Not well, but it's a hobby that relaxes me."

"Can I see some of your drawings?"

"Um, sure, but like I said, they aren't masterpieces by any stretch." Viola got up from the table and fished under her bed for a moment.

Emmeryn flipped through the sketches. A small house, a woman's face, a large tree by a hill. "Have these helped your memory at all?" she asked.

"Not really. The only one I remember is the last one. That's the spot where I first met Chrom and Lissa."

"I see. I like these. They're nice. Tell me, would you like a position at the castle?"

Viola looked down. "Would that... be alright?"

"Of course it would. You're a very bright girl, Viola. It'd be foolish of me to ignore such talent. Besides, Chrom and Lissa are very fond of you. I've become fond of you, too."

"I... I don't know what to say to that..." she murmured.

"You don't have to say anything. Viola, please continue to protect my dear little brother and sister."

Viola looked her in the eye then. "I will, I promise! They're very important to me."

Emmeryn smiled. "Thank you. Chrom is strong, but he doesn't always think things through, and Lissa is still young in many ways."

"I appreciate the kind words towards me, but there must be another reason as to why you traveled this far to see us."

Emmeryn smiled again. "Actually, I heard about the tournament and wanted to see it for myself, so I had the Pegasus Knights fly me here. Your methods didn't disappoint at all."

Viola blushed deeply and hid her face in her hands.

"I do have something I wanted to discuss with just you, but I wanted to push away any eavesdroppers with small talk," Emmeryn said softly. "One of Lissa's friends has been taken ransom at the border between our kingdoms. I figured it'd be best to tell you of the situation before I told my siblings. I know they'd want to rush in and rescue her."

That brought Viola out of her shell very quickly. "Tell me what you know," Viola said strongly. "The more details I have, the better I can formulate. If I have a sound plan, Chrom should calm down. Lissa I'm less sure about."

"I'm sorry to ask this of you while you're still recovering."

Viola waved her hands dismissively."It's okay, really! I can nap more on the way over. And I don't actually need to fight in _every_ battle. I'll just stay with the others who might not do well in whatever terrain we might be in. Chrom should be okay with that. Now, about those details."


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sumia has some quiet time away from the battle, and Frederick is Frederick.

Sumia sat on the edge of the convoy wagon with Viola asleep in her lap. They had camped themselves in a forest a ways away from where the diplomacy party was due to meet with the Plegian king. Nobody should bother them this far out. When Viola said she wanted to stay out of this encounter, Sumia jumped at the chance to join her. She had told the commander that she would protect Vi, which wasn't exactly a lie, but the amount of fighting they'd been doing recently had begun to wear her down. She wasn't like Sully, or even Vaike.

The familiar clank of armored footsteps brought her to attention. "How was the patrol this time, Frederick?" she asked.

"All clear."

"I must say I'm surprised, Frederick. I thought for sure you'd be up with the royals, instead of over here with us."

"Rest assured, Milady, I am not slacking in the slightest. This was simply a request from the commander," Frederick said as he glanced through some binoculars. "Though what _exactly_ are you doing back here without your steed?"

"Being a lookout and a human pillow," Sumia said as she rubbed Viola's head.

"Rather bold of Viola to nap so openly. Though, I must admit, that does seem comfortable."

"I don't mind. I like moments like this. It's quiet. There's just the rustling of the trees in the wind as I sit here with my friend. It almost makes me forget we're fighting."

"You're not fond of it, I know...get down!" Frederick said as he dove to shield Sumia from an oncoming arrow.

"Oh for crying out loud! SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP OVER HERE!" Sumia snapped as she chucked a nearby javelin with one hand.

"I always forget how strong you are," Frederick said with a grin. "Look, you made him limp."

"Thanks, Frederick. I don't think that arrow would have hurt me, but still..."

"You're welcome... what's with this wind? It's unnatural."

"Oh, that's just Vi. She must have sensed the arrow too, and made a barrier of her wind magic. You're always protecting me, aren't you?" Sumia hugged Viola.

"She can do a spell like that... even while she's unconscious? Her magical ability always astounds me. I can only imagine what she'll be like when she's a few years older. Thank goodness she's with us. I'd hate to face against someone with her skill level." Frederick got his binoculars again. "Oh dear."

"What's happening now?"

"Listen to me! I absolutely WILL NOT be the reason to start a war!" Maribelle voice snapped loud enough for the whole forest to hear. "Strike me dead if you must, you damn brute!"

"That was an Elwind spell," Frederick said as he glanced down at Viola.

"That Elwind didn't come from Vi. It was too far off."

"Ah, it appears we have a sneaker. You remember Ricken?" Frederick said as he looked ahead. "He's leading Maribelle away."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"And now there's a fight going on because of the confusion," Frederick sighed loudly. "Sire, you _said_ you were going to try to be diplomatic this time. Well, time to saddle up. Sumia, are you sure you'll be alright back here by yourself?"

"Yep!" she said with a smile. "Be careful, okay?"

Frederick tossed his binoculars to her. "You too! I should be back soon!"

***

"Sumia? Where are we right now?" Viola asked as she blocked the sun from her eyes with her arm.

"The battle is over, Vi. You slept through the whole thing."

"I did?"

"Yep! Don't worry we got her!"

"Thank goodness."

"We already have one reckless mage in this army, Ricken. We do not need two." Chrom said as he dragged Ricken towards the convoy wagon.

"I know but! They were going to kill her and-!" Ricken began.

"Sir, if I may," Maribelle interjected. "I'd like to join this army and aide my dear Lissa. I'd like sir Ricken to accompany me as well. He makes a good bodyguard for someone like me, who as of yet, cannot attack directly."

"Well, I suppose if you're keeping an eye on him it wouldn't hurt. He has talent," Chrom said. He looked over to see Viola sitting up. "Oh, Viola! I'm glad to see you're awake. Are you feeling better?"

"Much. Thank you."

"Thanks, Maribelle," Ricken whispered once Chrom was distracted.

"Not at all," Maribelle said with a smile. "You were very brave to come after me on your own. You saved my life."


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plot to change the future, and a confrontation with the past.

Viola walked out of her room and softly shut the door behind her. The sky was beautiful tonight. It felt good to be close to the castle again. She had a lot of good news to report in the morning. She glanced ahead to find Chrom sitting by himself under a nearby tree.

"Oh, Chrom. Why are you still up at this hour?" she asked as she walked over to him.

"I could ask you the same thing. Most of the camp is asleep."

Viola smiled sheepishly."I've always been more of a night owl. Besides, I've been sleeping too much recently, so I'm a little out of whack on a proper sleep schedule. I just came out to get some fresh air. Penny for your thoughts?"

"You sure? They aren't exactly pleasant."

"All the more reason to get them off your chest," she said as she sat beside him.

"It's just... I was thinking about my father. Not all of Gangrel's ramblings were false. My father... he did a lot of terrible things to the people of Plegia."

"What was his campaign about?"

"He wanted... to exterminate the followers of the dragon god Grima. Most of them resided in Plegia."

"Was it because of religious reasons?"

"No. Or at least, I don't think so. I think he was afraid Grima would return. A strange man once came to our halls and predicted that the dragon god would be reborn within a generation."

"How... oddly specific."

"My father was a weak man. There was no way he could have possibly battled the dragon if he did resurface. So he campaigned against Plegia in every way he could think. The worst of it was around ten years ago when Emmeryn and I were with our head priest in an effort to promote peace. I was knocked from my horse."

"Oh no!"

"I was unharmed. Something caught me. The priest said I was being watched over by Naga, but now that I think about it, someone might have used a Wind spell to catch me. Plegia has a lot of mages."

"Still, you were lucky."

"The citizens of that village we toured weren't. Apparently Father ordered to set it on fire after he heard about what happened."

Viola was silent for a moment. "Your father sounds scary. I think.... I had someone scary in my life too."

"Go on."

"Umm, let's see. He was very round, and I think he was a priest? No, no I'm thinking about one of his disciples. The priest was tall and scary, not round and scary. I don't remember a lot of his teachings but there was always an uneasiness to his words; like our god was judging us harshly through the eyes of those men." Viola shuddered at the memory. "I don't even remember which god I used to worship. Anyway, I'm glad someone kind like Emmeryn was there for you and Lissa growing up."

"That's what I'm worried about. I might have to kill the king in the name of peace."

"She won't like that."

"I know."

"Am I interrupting something important?"

"Marth? What are you doing here?" Chrom asked as he drew back. "We were just!"

"I know! I have ears! Listen, if you don't hurry, the Exalt will be murdered tonight." Marth said.

"How do you-?" Viola began.

"No time to explain." Marth said as he grabbed Chrom's hand. "If you don't move, that assassin will kill you!"

"What?" Chrom asked.

"Chrom! From the bushes!" Viola called.

Marth reacted faster, knocking the man's sword away, but also his mask, revealing a stream of hair.

"Ah, so you're a woman," Chrom remarked.

Marth smiled. "Surprised?"

"A little. How did you even get in here?" Chrom asked.

"The crack in the wall by the maple grove," Marth said without missing a beat.

"Ugh, you noticed that? I thought I covered it well enough..."

"Wait, _you_ made that hole in the wall? Never mind! Chrom, round up the stealthy troops. We can't take any chances."

"Agreed. You sure you feel well enough for battle, Viola?"

"Yes."

"When you're ready, follow me," Marth said.

***

Marth lead them into a more secluded area of the castle. Viola noticed that the leader of the group seemed to be the tall mage with pointed features. Chrom was busy. It would be unwise to engage this man in battle. Stalling seemed ideal. Before she could open her mouth, he spoke.

"Oh my. Hello again, my dear," he said.

The memories of that man's voice hit her like a bolt. _The bloody crown... that man's head rolling as she kicked it away._

"W-who _are_ you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"You don't remember me? Hmm, interesting, and unexpected. Come closer, my dear, we have things to discuss. You've run away for far too long."

"Run away...?"

 _"This isn't your fault..."_ Chrom's voice murmured in her head.

Viola shook her head." No! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" a Fire spell whirled around her like a shield as she held up her hands.

"I'm not giving you a choice," he said. A black magic swirled around him, eating away at her fire. "Nosferatu." The spell pulled her forward, sapping her strength.

"No... I... CHROM!" Viola screamed releasing a strong burst of fire from her mouth heading straight for the man.

"OH GODS! IT BURNS!" the man screamed.

Viola covered her mouth with her hands."What did I just...?"

A soft squelching sound entered her ears. There was a short gasp for breath and, a choking gurgle. Then, silence and release from the tightness in her limbs. She opened her eyes to see the tall man fall to his knees. Chrom wiped the blood from his sword.

"Flavia was right about one thing, mages are squishy," Chrom said. He turned towards her."Are you alright? You're... shaking."

"Ugh. I'm going to throw up. Move away from me!"

Chrom turned away as he heard her heave.

She vomited again before flopping backwards to the floor." I've never pulled a spell from that deep before. It hurts..."

"Come here," Chrom said gently as he bent down and picked her up. "We can't have you fainting near your own bile. Honestly Viola, you've been pushing yourself too hard. You can't keep doing spells like that all the time. Your body obviously doesn't like it. As your commander, I order you to tone it down. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir. Um, thank you... I didn't think... but you actually..."

"You thought I'd abandon you after you called for me? Not a chance." Chrom said with a grin. "Don't worry, Viola. I'll keep you safe."

"Yes, but what if I...?"

"If you throw up on me, I'll just wash everything out. I'm not worried about that. I just care that you're okay. This is why I want you to stay close to me, you know."

"Chrom... please don't die. You can't."

"Pfft. Like such an untrained assassin would really strike me down. Oh gosh, are you crying?"

I'm not crying because I'm sad! Smoke got in my eyes when I did whatever I did to breathe fire. What about Lady Emmeryn?"

"Oh. Emm's fine. Marth's warning really helped us to plan. We had some unexpected allies, too. We have a thief in our ranks now, as well as a very strong Taguel woman."

"What's a Taguel?"

"A tribe of shape shifters. I honestly thought they'd all died out."

"Huh. Chrom, do you really believe Marth can see the future?"

"I don't see why I should doubt it. So far, all her predictions have come true. What? Are you skeptical? I mean, you do some pretty amazing things with your powers. I've never even _seen_ anyone use a fire spell like you just did. What if it's no different for her?"

"It's just... most people with powers like mine, don't really announce them, you know? Or at least, I never did. But, if you want to trust her, I guess I will too, for now. Are you _sure_ this isn't annoying?"

"Positive. It's not like you're that heavy. I'll put you somewhere cool where you can rest after Lissa and I regroup with Emm. You feel like a hot potato."

"But I've been resting for days now!" Viola whined.

"Do you want me to send Frederick to look after you? He's a very good sitter."

Viola looked away."No."

"Darn. I was hoping he could look after you instead of me for once." Chrom grinned. "Do you want to trade bodyguards?"

"No way! I wouldn't trade Sumia's friendship for anything! Of course, if you wanted Sumia to make you a get-well pie, I'm sure I could ask her."

"I have heard her pies are delicious."

"Come have one with me later. We can still strategize."

"Viola..."

"I'm serious! I... want to be useful...."

"Right, right. It's a date. Er! Not a date-date! Huh? Did you seriously fall asleep?" Chrom laughed to himself. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Frederick watched the scene with a careful eye. He glanced at Sumia who was pacing beside him with a slightly sour look on her face. "Jealous?" he asked.

"No way!" she said in a tone that said she was.

"I was teasing you, Sumia," Frederick said.

"You fooled me. Even your teasing sounds serious, Frederick. I wish we could have taken that man prisoner."

"Well, we can't question a dead man with a charred corpse." Frederick rode up to Chrom. "I'm going to go help clean up the bodies. You go on ahead."

"I'll help you!" Sumia said.

"Are you sure? This isn't exactly pleasant work, Sumia."

"I owe it... to the people I've killed to at least give them a proper rest."

"Very well. Here, take my hand. There are plenty of things to trip on."

"The commander looked happy don't you think? It must be because Vi called for him."

Frederick glanced at her. "Sumia..."

"It's alright, really! She's my very best friend, so of course I want her to be happy. I can tell how she feels towards him, even though she's reserved about it. I just hope she isn't holding back for my sake! Still, I wonder if someone will ever look at me like how he looks at her?"

"Someone will love you very much. I have no doubt. You have many wonderful qualities, Sumia."

"You think so?"

"I know so. You're the best handler of animals I've ever seen. You're diligence rivals that of even me. And Viola tells me you're a great cook. Do you want me to knock some sense into him on your behalf?"

"Well, maybe just once for some reason or another."

"Consider it done. I'm going to use 'killing a potentially valuable prisoner' as a lecture point. Agreed?"

Sumia nodded."Agreed. Thanks Frederick."

"Anytime."

*

_"I cannot die! I will not!"_

_"Don't worry," You have a destiny that is far too grand. If you die now, my resurrection can't be fulfilled. Thousand year wounds still sting fresh."_

_"That voice is... it's different from what I heard before, but I know it is you! The Fell Dragon!"_

Viola awoke to find herself back in her bed at camp. "Not again," she murmured. "Gah! Chrom! Why are you in here?"

"I wasn't-! Here! Do you want a piece of this?"

"What is it?" Viola asked as she looked at the small piece of something in Chrom's hand.

"Candy. Lissa bought me some. I already bribed that thief with some of it. I thought a little sugar might perk you up."

"I've... never had candy before. We were too poor... I think."

"Do you like sweet things?"

"I like Sumia's pies. They can be sweet."

"Go on. This one is chocolate with bits of fruit in the middle."

She popped it in her mouth. "Ah! I haven't tasted strawberries in forever! These used to be my favorite thing in the summer! This chocolate stuff is really good too! Thank you! I do feel better."

"You're welcome."

"We're still going to strategize right? I want... I want to plan ahead!"

Chrom looked back.

"Marth... is trying to change something about the future, right? I don't understand it, but I want to help her, Chrom."

Chrom nodded. "Same time as usual then?"

"Yes, but knock first!"

Chrom ducked out of her room. She liked strawberries, huh?


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viola finally meets her brother.

Viola spent the next day forced to stay in bed and to drink foul smelling tonics of Miriel's making. Apparently, spells like the one she had pulled off were rare, but not unheard of. Miriel was still furious at her.

"You could have potentially destroyed your entire respiratory system!" Miriel snapped. "You're extremely lucky you didn't burn anything internally. The spell seems to have mostly pooled in your mouth, and not your lungs. Drink this every hour, and chew on these ice cubes. All of your meals are going to be cold for awhile. Here, I brought you your books to give you something to do." Still, Miriel smiled as she left the room. "You are such a reckless student. Obviously we're going to double your control exercises to prevent something like this from _ever_ happening again. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Thanks Miriel."

Awhile later, there was a gentle knock at her door.

"Come in," Viola said without looking up from her book.

"I, um, don't mean to interrupt you, but Lady Emmeryn told me you were here and well... it's been months since I've seen you alive," said a voice.

Viola's eyes peeked over the pages. A young man with black hair smiled sheepishly at her. "Forgive me, this must be frightening. Do you remember me?"

Viola smiled and put the book down on the covers of the bed."Of course I do. It took me a bit at first, but over time, I did remember your face. I'm sorry if I worried you, Big Brother."

Relief washed over the boy and he gingerly stepped closer to her bedside before throwing his arms around her in a warm hug. "You did worry me! I looked for you whenever I could!"

Yes, she did remember this. She fell into the hug comfortably. "How goes the training? The white robes are new."

"Oh! I'm a member of Naga's Order now."

"Naga? Do we worship Naga?"

"Not exactly, but Naga's teachings felt more right to me personally."

"I see. So you gave up on the idea of becoming a warrior?"

"Well, I realize now what with my health being how it is, that battle is not a good fit for me. The fact that you made off with me sword and tomes before you vanished kind of hindered any hopes I had of the whole great warrior thing."

"Oh right, your heart condition. Wait, I did _what_? Then the Grant in the tomes was..."

Grant grinned."Bingo. Whatever you were trying to do, you wanted to keep me out of the fighting."

"I'm guessing I didn't disclose anything to you then?"

"Not this plan, no."

"Pity. Wait, you said Emmeryn told you about me? How are you in contact with her?"

"Through Naga's Order, actually. That's how we reconnected after all this time. I never thought a royal like her would remember someone like me, let alone after ten years, but she did."

"Ten years....?"

"I'm guessing your memory doesn't really recall when we were children. I'll have to tell you that story sometime. It's really quite humorous in hindsight. Well, for now, I'll leave you be."

"Grant!" Viola called as loudly as her voice allowed.

The boy turned back, his smile wide again. "Yes, Vi?"

"I'm glad to finally see you again."

"Me too."

When Grant opened the door, the bodies of Chrom, Frederick, Lissa, and Sumia spilled to the floor. Grant kneeled down."Oh! Hi, Chrom! It's been awhile, hasn't it? I guess I should call you Commander now, since we'll be working together from now on. Thank you so much for taking such good care of my little sister. May Naga bless you for it. Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, he used a small wind spell to boost him over the bodies and into the hallway before walking off.

"I can explain," Chrom began.

Viola just laughed. "You were worried about me, right?"

"Well! I-I mean! We wanted to be sure he was your brother and not some schemer!" Chrom said. "Wait, where did those three even go?"

"It's okay. I do remember him. Chrom, can you have our newest members meet me later? I want to get to know them a bit."

"Sure thing."

"Th-Ack! SOMETHING IS CRAWLING ON ME! GET IT OFF!"

"I see it. Hold still okay. Huh? What's a frog doing in here of all places?" Chrom asked.

Viola looked like she might cry."A frog? Ugh! It was all slimy and it crawled down my back!"

"Do you want me to um...?"

"No! You don't need to look at it!"

"Let's get you into the bath area, alright? Do you feel strong enough to walk there?"

Viola slid off the bed and walked beside him. "Um, will you check to see if there are any frogs in the bathtub?" she whimpered.

"You _really_ don't like frogs, do you?"

She shook her head. "No way! There was this really mean frog familiar back home! He was huge, and gross, and he'd sit on me! His owner thought it was funny! He was mean too!"

"Was this the same scary round man you were talking about before?"

She nodded. "Um, I forgot which way to go. This castle is so big."

"I thought as much. Here. Take my hand."

"Lissa," Emmeryn said knowingly as she watched the two of them walk down the hallway.

Lissa smiled sheepishly. "I didn't think she'd react like _that._ You've noticed it, right, Emm?"

"Of course I have."

"Honestly by this point it's like missing a brick wall," Frederick said.

"I was just trying to give them a little push, that's all," Lissa continued.

"If you're not careful, your cute pranks could be seen as bullying," Emmeryn said with a smile.

"Ack! I never thought of it like that!"

"I did warn you a frog might be overdoing it, Lissa," Sumia said.

"Where are you going, Emm?" Lissa asked.

"I think I'll take a bath too. That sounds nice."


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The event from ten years ago.

Viola settled into the water once she was double sure Chrom hadn't missed any frogs. It was warm to the skin and smelled like flowers. When she breathed out, the sigh echoed. "Huh. The acoustics aren't bad in here. Let's see, how did that song go again? Something like..."

"My. I didn't know you sang. You sound so cute," said a voice as she finished.

"Lady Emmeryn?" Viola gasped as she pushed herself against the wall of the bath. She hid her face in her hands. "Oh, gosh! I didn't know you... you heard that?"

"Forgive me. I wanted to talk with you privately, so I followed you in here. There is something important I want to discuss with you, but even since that assassination attempt, I haven't had a moment alone. May I come into your bath?"

"Of course. What is it?"

Emmeryn set herself on the other side of the bathing pool."Would you like to see a memory of mine? I'm asking because you're in it."

"I am?"

"You are. Of course, I didn't realize it was you until I met your brother and he helped confirm it. What I'm about to show you is a combination of our memories of the event."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I'll use the water as a way to project it to you."

"Wow. That's a high level of magic."

"Says the girl who breathed fire from her mouth," Emmeryn said with a smile. "I'm only teasing you. Watch closely now."

The image of two small children running across a barren road rippled out from where Emmeryn touched the water with her hand.

_"We really shouldn't be here right now. If we get caught, he'll punish us really harshly."_

_"Shhh! You're too loud! They say they're coming for the sake of peace. I want to know for myself if that's true. Besides, I've never actually seen our enemy before."_

"Is that really... me?" Viola asked. "That boy must be Grant."

"Yes."

"Then this must be where we grew up." She watched in silent fascination as the smaller version of herself dashed across the water to find a safe place to watch the procession. Once they were safely hidden, a group of horses appeared on the road.

"Is that?"

"Yes, that's me in the middle there," Emmeryn said. "And next to me is Chrom."

"Aww! I can't believe he was ever that small. Wait a second, why would you need to make peace with wherever I was living?"

"Shh. Watch."

Something had spooked the horses, causing them to start to buck.

 _"Oh no! He's going to fall!"_ Her younger self murmured. _"Ah, um! Wind!"_

_"What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Grant asked as he saw the orb of wind that surrounded the young prince._

_"Ah! I got him! Okay, now to just gently... Ack! Ow! I'm sorry hands! Just a little bit more, okay?"_

The wind spell had cut her palms wide open. Despite the blood, she managed to set him down on the ground.

_"Vi, we should really run now. Those guards look super mad," Grant said as he grabbed her arm._

_"Right."_

The memory stopped there.

"That means my brother and I.... we're Plegian."

"I'm afraid so," Emmeryn said.

"Then you knew?"

"I did. You've grown, but as soon as I saw your level of magic that day, I remembered the cute little girl who saved my brother from such a nasty fall. I would have thanked you back then, but you both ran like rabbits."

"H-have you told Chrom?"

"Not yet. Do you object to me showing a select few that memory?"

"No... but, if he knows I'm from Plegia then...."

Emmeryn continued to smile gently. "Then what? You're not planning any sort of betrayal are you?"

Viola jumped back again. "No! Never!"

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Chrom might get a bit shyer around you for awhile, that's all. Of course, knowing it was you who helped him back then could also make him really happy. He's always wanted to thank that person himself. Now he can. What kind of thank- you would you like from him, hmm? I'm sure if you asked him, he'd do anything you wanted."

Anything she wanted? "Well...."

"Oh, so you _do_ want something from him?"

"Ack! That's not what I-! Are my ears burring? It feels like my ears are burning," Viola muttered from inside her hands.

"You are very red right now. I'm sorry. I took my teasing too far. It's alright, dear. This is why I wanted to show you alone. Take as much time as you need to process this information. Only, please don't avoid my brother because of this."

Viola kept her glance to the side of the bathing pool."It's just... it doesn't feel like that was really me. Still, thank you for sharing this with me. I'm sure if I talk to my brother about it, it will feel more real."

As Viola stood up to leave the water, Emmeryn looked at her. "Viola, there was one part we cut out of that memory. It was Grant's. It's what happened... after you ran."

"I think... I do remember some of that now."

She was small. Her whole body was stretched out protectively. And Grant was...

_"No! It was my idea to sneak out! Punish me! Please don't hurt my brother anymore!"_


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viola spills the beans to her big brother. Grant approves.

Grant looked up from writing at his desk to see Viola enter his room."Oh, did you have a nice bath?"

"Yes. I wasn't expecting Emmeryn to join me, but I'm finding I like her company more and more," Viola said as she brushed her hair with her fingers. "She showed me a memory while we were alone. Is that the story you were going to tell me?"

Grant smiled."Yes. I must admit my finding you being under Chrom's protection was very funny to me."

Viola hung her head. "Then that means I... I was the one who caused our home to be burned down."

Grant's smile fell. "The Mad King ordered that, not you."

"Gangrel?"

"Wha-? No, I was talking about the previous Ylissen king."

"Oh. We call him the Mad King."

"I guess Gangrel has gone a little power hungry as of late. Personally, I don't like how he's pushing Lady Emmeryn around. It'd be different if she was more antagonistic towards our people, but she's not. Most of us don't hate her."

"Then why attack the borders over and over again? Why the raids on the nearby villages? Why _any_ of it?"

"Heh. You're starting to sound like you used to, Vi."

"Am I?"

"Yes. You always did your best to stand up for the weak; even when you were one of them yourself."

"I'm sorry you got hurt on my account, Grant."

Grant paused."I thought we cut that part out."

"I... remembered it on my own. Emmeryn is going to show Chrom that memory as well."

Grant smiled again. "He's not going to push you away. He loves you, Vi."

"D-don't be ridiculous! He doesn't..."

"Vi," Grant said with a knowing stare. "Come on now."

"Okay! Okay! Maybe he does... a little bit."

"More like a lot. Seriously, he's head over heels for you."

"Still! I feel terrible because I know I'm not the only one in our camp who loves... him like that."

"Aww, so you do like him back! It's okay to be a little selfish. Besides, I think you two make a good match. You both even each other out. I'm rooting for you, Vi!"

"I guess I need to talk with... that other person. I hope we can still be friends after this."

"I'm sure you can. It's not like he's currently spoken for. Just be honest. I'm sure she'll understand."

"Grant, have you ever been in love?"

"I have indeed. I've got a girl I adore back at the main temple. She's accepted all of me and, in the eyes of the Order, we're officially married. I even have a ring, see?"

" _What_? You two are that serious? So you've... seen each other naked?"

Grant blushed. "If you must know, yes, many times now, but we took our time before we got to that point. Why the sudden curiosity?"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to pry into your personal life-I just! Are you going to start a family?"

"We've talked about it, yes, but now doesn't feel like the right time to bring a little life into it. It's okay, Sis. I'm not mad, you just phrased it so... oddly specific." Grant gasped. "Wait, has someone seen _you_ naked?"

"Not like that! It was an accident! He walked in when I was bathing. I later got an eye full of him because the idiot ran out of the bath when he heard me screaming. I ended up steaming the whole room! Actually, that's how I remembered you."

"You're serious, aren't you? I wonder why that memory of me was the one to resurface. I walked in on my wife once, too. Or rather, I ran because she was screaming. When someone you care about is in danger, you don't exactly care about modesty, you know? Of course, I was much more embarrassed by it then she was. I'd never had a girl... look at me like that before. Come to think of it, she kept insisting I take off my shirt after that..."

Viola laughed. "What's her name?"

Grant grinned. "Her name's Tiki."

"Why do I feel like I've heard that name before?"

"She has the same name as the manakete who helped the Great Hero Marth defeat Grima. It makes her kind of famous in our circles."

"How did you two meet?"

"At the main temple. There's a garden there. One of my jobs is to tend to the flowers. She would often come there to relax and, apparently, watch me work. She always came by on the days I watered. We got to talking, and before I knew it, I was in love with her. Being around her is so calming. I always feel better when I'm near her. It's nice to be able to be so open to another person about... well, everything."

"I feel the same... when I'm around Chrom. He makes me feel safe."

"So you're okay with the fact he's seen your naked body?"

Viola turned a whole new shade of red."H-how did you-?"

"It was obvious, Vi. From what I've seen, there isn't another man you would trust that much to just allow him enter and exit your personal space like that."

"Honestly, I don't even care about it that much anymore. It's not like anything happened. But, I think it was about that time that I realized I didn't mind if it was him... and ARUGH! Why am I even telling you this?"

Grant laughed and hugged her. "Actually, when we were little, I made you pinky promise to always tell me if a boy ever made you feel funny in any way. I was trying to protect you from unwanted harassers, but this works too. I can't believe that on some level you remembered that promise! To think, you're finally interested in boys, and of all the bugs in the sand, you fall for that one! Well, mom would be happy for you, and I am, too. If he's the one you love, then we'll support you. "

Viola busied herself with redoing her pigtails. "Grant, is our mom still...?"

"Alive? Oh, yes. I brought her with me to the main temple after you and I parted ways, and I joined the Order. They offered her sanctuary. I've been keeping in touch with her through letters. One of which, I am currently drafting. When Emmeryn asked me to accompany her back to this castle because she had found you, I decided to leave Mom at the temple with my dear Tiki. She's thrilled to know we've found each other again. When the time is right, I'll arrange for all of us to meet. Mom can help with a lot of your memory problems, I'm sure. Vi, It's late, shouldn't you be sleeping about now?"

Viola jumped to her feet."Oh man! If Miriel comes to check on me and I'm not there, she'll lecture me again! Goodnight!" she said as she dashed out the door.

Grant laughed to himself as he finished the letter. "She's become a lot sillier since bonking her head. Or perhaps, the people around her allow her to be closer to who she wants to be."


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frederick and Sumia form "The Commander Makes Us Cry" club.

Sumia all but kicked down the door to the food storage."I give up already! I can't believe they actually met ten years ago! Vi even saved his life and everything! I can't compete with that level of cute!"

"Cuteness doesn't have levels, Sumia," Frederick said as he adjusted the door back into its proper place.

"Yes it does! There's not cute, kind of cute, regular cute, very cute, and so cute it kills you! That's what that memory was! Honestly, she couldn't have been more than six! Arugh! Frederick! Where's the alcohol?"

"Sorry Sumia, we're fresh out after that _incident_. I'm afraid warm milk will have to do," Frederick said. "Do you want me to make some up for you?"

"Do we at least have some chocolate powder?" she said, trying to hold back her sniffles.

"We do. Hold on for just a moment."

Sumia sat on a box of preserves and kicked her legs out while she waited.

"Here you are. Be careful, it's hot."

"Thanks. Ugh, this stinks! Honestly, I'm done with him! Done! Done! Done! Aww! You put in a little marshmallow happy face just for me?"

"Good it made you smile. Are you going to be alright?"

"I think so. I just need a good, frustrated cry, you know? I've liked him for such a long time..."

"You've liked him ever since that day in the woods, right?"

"Right. As I recall, you were pretty awesome, too! He might have saved me from that wolf, but you saved all three of us in one fell swoop! Wait, the commander has made you cry, too?"

"For different reasons than yours, but yes."

Sumia laughed before taking a sip of her drink. "He must be quite a charge. Still, I want to protect him like you do. He's brave and kind. I want him to stay that way, always. I want to stay with him, even if I'm not the one he... loves."

"You can still do that, Sumia. No one's stopping you."

"I need to talk to Vi and see where she stands with all this. Frederick, when the commander gets married, what will you do?"

"I doubt my job will change. Though, it depends on who he marries. Before you assume things, let me remind you that royals don't often marry for love. And there's the added strike of Viola being from the enemy kingdom."

"You knew?"

"Of course I knew. I recognized that tattoo on her hand immediately. I promptly told his highness. He was surprisingly unfazed by the whole thing."

"Good. I'm glad. I mean, I guessed a while back because of her hair color, but I can't exactly confirm it with her, you know? We absolutely can't kick her out though, okay?"

"Don't worry. I might be cautious, but I'm not stupid. We'll all make sure she knows she's still safe with us. Are you doing alright now?"

"Yes, I feel much better."

"Is something the matter? Your face is still red," Frederick asked as he looked at her.

"Just now you... oh, never mind. I really am an idiot," she murmured as she turned away from him before hopping to her feet. "Thanks Frederick! I can always depend on you!" She felt her foot catch on the floor of the cellar as she stepped forward. "ACK!"

Frederick smiled as he caught her with ease."Glad I could be of assistance."


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friendship > boys.

The next morning was a dance of uncertain eye contact between Sumia and Viola. Their usual friendly banter at breakfast was reduced to awkward, one-word responses. This did not go unnoticed by most of the Shepherds.

"Viola, if there is something you need to say to Sumia, you'd better say it," Miriel said after she had pulled her aside. "We can't afford to have either of you distracted if we are to prevent a war."

"Ahem, Vi, walk with me in the garden?" Sumia asked shortly after her talk with Miriel.

"Um, sure."

When they passed by the maple grove, it was hard not to notice the hastily covered hole in the wall. "So that's how Marth got in."

Sumia looked at the wall, too. "Oh, he knew about the hole? The commander was trying to teach Stahl how to better handle a sword and, well..."

Viola held in a laugh. "He put too much strength behind his swing again, didn't he?"

"Yeah. He did. Frederick gave him an earful for it."

"Sumia, do you hate me?" Viola asked softly keeping her eyes to the ground. "I mean, I knew you have feelings for Chrom, but I still... I couldn't! I tried not to, really!"

Sumia squeezed her hand as they walked. "Hate you? No way! Don't worry about my feelings okay? Honestly, they've... shifted."

Viola looked at her then. "They have?"

Sumia nodded."Yes. I still respect the commander so, so much, but I think... my feeling of love-love was placed on the wrong person. He.... he looked at me like the commander looks at you. I still have to gather up my courage and tell him." She sighed. "I hope he doesn't think I'm joking."

"Who is it? Is it someone in our group?"

Sumia leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"Aww! Yes!" Viola said as she clapped her hands together.

"You approve?" Sumia said with a smile.

"Of course I approve! He's very kind and reliable. I have no doubt you two will take very good care of each other. Wait, what am I talking about? You don't need my approval for this kind of thing!"

"But what if I wanted it anyway because you're my friend, and I value how you can judge people? Honestly, Vi, give yourself some credit. You have a right to your own feelings. If I was you, I'd have fallen for him, too. I'm truly, honestly, over him! You have to promise me something though, okay? If you really do love the commander, you should tell him."

"Oh, but how do I...? I mean he's a prince and I'm just.... Um, Sumia, you don't suppose we could...?"

"My room is always open to you, Vi. Always and forever."

Viola sighed with relief. "You know what you can do? Make a list of all the things you like about him! That way if he doesn't believe you, you can show him the proof."

"Oooh, good idea, Vi! Do you think I should make something for him, too?"

"Yeah, that way you can have a reason to see him. Why don't you bake him something?"

"Sounds like a plan! Now, how can we go about your confession?"

"Ack! Can we focus on you first?"

"Oh, all right, but I warn you, if you're too slow about it I'll enlist him to help."

"That might be overkill...."

"You better start thinking about it then. Here, sit down, I'll give you a special flower fortune! Or maybe... you think they're silly?"

"No way, the flowers have always been kind, just like you. I'm never worried about what they might say. Even if it's bad, you always spin it in a positive way. You're good at that."

"Say, Vi, do you have the book we're reading in your bag?"

"Yeah."

"Want to get comfy in those flowers and read to each other?"

"That sounds wonderful. Hey, Sumia?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for being my friend."

"You make it sound like it's a chore. That's not how I feel at all. We've always supported each other since the day we met. No guy will change the way I treat you, ever. I believe the chapter we're on is yours, Vi."

"Okay, will you help me with some of the harder words again?"

"Of course. I'm impressed, Vi. When we first started, you could barely read in our language, but you've picked it up super fast."

"Well, I had a very kind teacher. How long do you want to read for?"

"Until one of them demands we come inside." Sumia leaned back. "If you ask me, we both need a break."

Viola followed her lead."Agreed."


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A thief, some cookies, window jumping, and a botched confession.

When Viola entered her room again, she found someone waiting for her.

"Hey, Boss-Lady. Good timing! These just finished cooling."

"You're... Gaius, right?" she said.

"Bingo!" said the redheaded man with a grin.

"And those are...?" she asked, her eyes trailing to the small table.

"Chocolate chip cookies," Gaius said. "A big blue birdie told me you like chocolate, so I made them for you. Go ahead, try one."

Viola down in one of the chairs and took a bite."You made these yourself?"

"Yeah. I bake all the time."

She smiled. "These are really good! They're so gooey! Umm, why the intense stare? Is there chocolate on my face?"

Gaius grinned. "Heh. You're a pretty cute girl, you know that? Honestly, I was expecting someone more like that goofus in the armor as the second in command."

"Goofus in armor.... Frederick or Kellam?"

"Who?" Gaius asked.

"Of course you meant Frederick. Poor Kellam."

"Anyway, if you need me for lock work and general sneakery, I'm your guy. I'm not against killing people when I need to, but I'm not an assassin like Lon'qu, alright?"

"Noted. Don't worry, I'm not the type to order you to do something you hate."

"Of course, when I'm not needed on the field, I can always help out in the kitchen."

"Well, it's very apparent you can cook. So, welcome to the Sheppard Culinary Team."

"Sweet! Thanks a lot!"

"Viola, is someone in there with you?" Chrom asked from the doorway. "I want to uh, talk to you about something Emmeryn brought to my attention."

Viola swallowed hard."Emmeryn showed him that already? Breathe! Breathe!"

"Whoops! I never actually told Blue I was going to see you now. I'd better run before he gets the wrong idea! Enjoy the cookies! I'll make more for you any time!" Gaius then jumped out the window of the guest room.

"Wait!" Viola called from the window.

"What on earth was that racket?" Chrom asked as he entered the room.

"I just met Gaius. Cookie?" Viola asked as she offered him one.

"Oh. Sure." He sat down at the other end of the table and munched on the cookie for a moment. "Uh, listen, this might seem odd but..."

"Emmeryn showed me that memory of when we were kids!" she cut in.

"She did?" Chrom sighed with relief. "I guess that saves me some explaining. Anyway, I wanted to thank you in person for what you did for me that day. Looking back on it, you probably saved my life."

"A-as far as I'm concerned, we're even! Y-you saved my life on the day you found me, so... I only have what I have now b-because of you and this army. I'm so grateful for your continued trust."

Chrom gently patted her head and smiled at her."Still, if you think of something you want as a reward, anything at all, be sure to tell me, okay? I'll make it happen."

Viola felt her ears burn again."I'LLTHINKABOUTITTHANKSGOODDAY!" she said as she pushed him out of her room with a small wind spell and slammed the door behind him.

Chrom paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Did I make you nervous just now?"

"A little! Allowing men who aren't Grant to touch me has usually equaled to pain in the past. And I was getting self-conscious about that stuttering I was doing."

"Oh, sorry! I didn't even think about that. Am I allowed to do it again?"

"Yes! The head pat felt really nice!"

"Okay. I'll try to remember to tell you next time. I'll leave you to your studies."

"See you later, Chrom."

Sumia tumbled into Viola's room through the window. "What was _that_?" she demanded softly after she brushed herself off.

"What was that? What is _this_? How did you even _do_ that? Where's your Pegasus?"

"I wasn't spying! I was patrolling."

"And you tripped through a window?"

"Yes I did. I've gotten much better at controlling my landing when I do that. But more importantly! You had a golden opportunity and you _botched_ it, Vi! You could have asked him for a kiss or something, and instead you magically scoot him out the door!"

Viola screamed into a nearby pillow. "I panicked! I wasn't expecting to be touched!"

"But it didn't feel bad, right?"

Viola took another cookie. "No, but I wasn't lying, either. Ugh! I haven't stuttered like that in _ages_!"

Sumia sat on the bed and hugged her close."Hey, how come you're okay with me when I hug you?"

"You've never hurt me, for one. You're so nice, and you're also very comfy, which makes you easy to cuddle with. Actually, you remind me a lot of a friend I had back in my home village."

"Really? What were they like?" Sumia asked.

"Um, I always found her to be very kind in her own way, but she scared a lot of people. She liked to use curses a lot. For the longest time, she was like my shadow, always watching over me." Viola leaned into Sumia. "Her name is... Tharja. Heh, I bet she'd be happy to know her name remained with me even after all this. I hope she's alright."

Sumia rubbed Viola's back. "I'm sure she's okay."

"What if she's on their side and we have to kill her? I don't want..."

"Shh, Vi. Don't think like that! You'll just upset yourself. Do you remember her face?"

"Yeah."

"Good. If you recognize her, we won't attack her. You just have to say it's her."

"Promise?"

"Pinky promise!"

Sumia sighed. That's right; Plegia was their enemy, but unlike the pieces on a chessboard, each solider was human.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emmeryn asks an impossible question. Also: kisses and bunnies.

It was well into the afternoon by the time someone knocked on her door again.

"Viola, dear, I'd like to discuss something with you," Emmeryn said. "I brought tea."

"Sure Emmeryn, what do you need?"

"I have a riddle that I want you to try and untangle. I'm stuck," she said as she put down the kettle down and sorted the cups. "Sugar?"

"Oh, a riddle? Sure! I'll see what I can come up with, and yes!"

"Okay, so the players are a king, a queen, and the riddle involves a war."

Viola took a sip of her tea and eyed the Exalt knowingly. "Does this have any significance to what's going on?"

Emmeryn smiled a bit. "It might, or they could just be archetypes for the riddle. Now, the king is trying to kill the queen. If she fights back, it'll mean war."

"Emmeryn..."

"So, what would you do?"

"I'd take a third option. If fighting back meant war that would just be playing into enemy hands, and letting them go through with their murder plan is a terrible, _terrible_ idea."

"A third option, huh?"

"If it were me, I'd fake my death."

"I see, how clever."

"Lady Emmeryn, I... understand why you came to me. Thank you for trusting me with this information."

"You're a good girl, Viola. I like you very much. I bet you'll just grow wiser with the passing years. Oh, may I play with your hair?"

"My hair? If you want. Um, do you suppose I should change the style?"

Emmeryn sat her down on a stool and brushed her hair gently as they talked. "That depends. Do you not like the pigtails? I think they're precious."

"Um, but! I want to be taken seriously as an adult and..."

"Yes, of course. Another question then: why do you keep them?"

"Because of... the ribbons."

"I see. Do you like ribbons?" Emmeryn ran her fingers through Viola's hair and began to braid it.

"Uh, I'm not sure, but I do remember sitting like this while my mother did my hair. She gave those to me when I was little."

"I thought I smelled a faint magic to them."

"Smelled?"

"Magic has a small scent to it, dear. It's a little different for each mage."

"Is that why I always smell flowers when I'm near you?"

Emmeryn smiled. "Bingo!"

"Only, what have you been casting?"

"Ward."

"The protection spell?"

"The very same."

"For Chrom and Lissa, right?"

"For you and Grant too, dear."

"But! Why waste your magic on us?"

"Do you want to know a secret? One of the things I wish I had done was to chase after you two that day. Perhaps I could have spared you and your family some grief. I think you two would have gotten along wonderfully with Chrom and Lissa as children."

"Emmeryn, I...I'm in love with Chrom!" Viola said.

Emmeryn's smile did not change."Aww, I'm glad."

"Y-You are?"

"Of course I am. He likes you very much. If you choose to be with him, may your love always comfort you. Please always be kind to each other."

"I haven't told him yet. I'm not sure how."

"Why not give him a kiss and see what happens?" Emmeryn said with a mischievous grin. Within seconds, Viola blushed and covered her face.

"He's too tall for that!" Viola muttered through her hands. "I can't just randomly ask him to bend down to my level!"

"I was teasing you, dear. Of course, if you really wanted, I could come up with an excuse to get him down to you, or perhaps Frederick could give you a boost up?"

"I'm sure he would do that if I asked him, but that'd be even _more_ embarrassing! Besides I don't know how to kiss someone! What if I'm terrible at it?"

"You don't have to kiss him on the lips if you're not comfortable with the idea." Emmeryn kissed her lightly on her forehead. "I've heard this is also an acceptable place."

"Oh! Yeah, it is! Tharja and I would always used to do that. It's uh, a sign of love and protection in Plegia. You kiss someone's forehead and wish them well. I _remember_ now, we exchanged those kinds of kisses before I left to try and cross the border. Oh gosh, she was really worried that night. She only calmed down after I gave her one and told her I'd be fine."

"I see. Can you show me an example of how to do it properly? All done! Now tell me honestly, do you like what I did with your hair?"

Viola turned. "Oh! I really like this braid crown thing you did!"

"I'm glad. Perhaps I can do Lissa's next?"

"I think she'd like that." Viola hopped off the stool. "Um, so you wanted to see the kiss thing, right? You're also tall, could you please bend down?" Emmeryn smiled gently, and gracefully lowered herself to her knees. Still, Viola stood on her toes when she kissed her forehead. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, your Grace."

Emmeryn pulled her into a hug. It was warm and comforting. "Thank you for indulging my selfish wish." She kissed Viola's forehead. "May we all have many happy years together."

"Please call me if you need anything else, Emmeryn."

"Of course. Chrom and I are almost done planning how we want to move next. I'll have him fetch you when we finalize it."

"You humans sure have strange ways of showing affection," said a voice after she exited her room.

"Ack!" Viola cried upon the sight of the woman with the long ears and a fluffy tail. "Oh! You must be Panne!"

"Indeed. Forgive me I was being as Kellam called it, 'stealthy.' I did not wish to frighten you. We have yet to have a formal meeting." Panne sniffed around her. "Interesting, you smell different than the others."

"Oh, that's probably just the scent of my magic. Lady Emmeryn just explained that to me. Wow! I mean I've read about the various tribes of Laguz, but you're a different species entirely right?"

"Correct."

"We'd be more than glad for your aide if you join us. Chrom tells me your very strong, but just do what feels comfortable to you, okay?"

Panne looked her over. "I don't understand. You are tiny compared to the leader, you don't _look_ strong. Yet, he holds you in high regard. I'm curious to see how you became the alpha female."

Viola blushed again. "I'm second in command! We're not-! Not yet, anyway..."

"You aren't? Hmm, that man seems to have lied to me about the status of your relationship."

"Wait, what man?"

"The assassin."

"Wait, how on _earth_ are you friends with Lon'qu of all people? He can barely talk to girls! And I never expected him to be gossipy."  

"He returned some valuable herbs to me. When brewed, they help to ease nightmares, so I offered him a cup of tea in thanks. We've been talking ever since. When I asked about you, that's what he equated you to. Perhaps it's because I'm not human, but he doesn't react the same around me."

"Oh, I get it now. So the herbs are rare, huh? Figures. I'd like to try some, but not if they're hard to come by."

Panne's ears twitched. "You suffer from nightmares as well?"

"Frequently. I hate them because I can't.... place them. I don't know what's supposed to be a memory and what might be a figment of my imagination."

"Ah, I see. I shall brew you a cup. If they help you, I'd be glad to spare some."

"You are very kind, Panne."

"Strange, you have no wish to see my beast-shape?"

"Of course I'm _curious_ , but it's your body; so ultimately it's your call."

"Hmm, no spawn of man has ever spoken to me as an equal. Very well, I suppose I'll show you. Come into the garden with me."

Surrounded by the trees and the flowers, Panne pulled out her Beaststone and transformed.

"Bunny!" Viola said.

Panne grinned. "This form pleases you?"

"I like rabbits a lot. They're my favorite animal." Viola paused."For once, I... remembered something that makes me really happy."

"I see. You may come closer, if you wish."

"Um, can I pet you?"

"Gently."

"Of course. Oh! You're so warm and fluffy! Thank you for this!"

"You are very strange indeed," Panne said. Viola swore she saw the massive rabbit smile.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vaike challenges Grant to a manly fight. Viola practices her concentration, and showing affection.

Viola followed behind Miriel as she walked towards a hand-painted arena. "Miriel, why are we going towards the training grounds? Is this why you summoned me after I met with Panne?"

"Yes, because we are going to train, of course. One must always be vigilant in their studies. We'll stay in this tent so as not to be disturbed. Now, close your eyes, Viola. This exercise will be about concentration. I want you to focus your emotions ignore all outside influences and- VAIKE WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?"

"Oh Miriel! Do you want to see me wipe the floor with the newbie?" Vaike said with a grin.

Miriel glanced over to see Grant with a book in his hand, and an annoyed expression. "I thought if I came out here I could get _away_ from your pestering requests for a brawl," he said.

"Don't be a spoilsport!" Vaike's grin did not fade when he looked at Miriel. "Well?"

Miriel adjusted her glasses."No. Grant is a human being, not a mop."

"You know what I mean!" Vaike said.

"Miriel, Is something wrong?" Viola asked as she tried to look behind her.

"No. Vaike is just challenging Grant in some bizarre male initiation ritual."

"What?" Viola all but stomped out of the tent. "Vaike! If my brother has an attack because of you, I will _not_ be happy!"

Grant held in the urge to laugh. He hadn't seen _that_ expression in ages. "I'll be fine, Sis. You just focus on your training, okay?"

Viola sighed. "Okay, if you say so."

"Alright!" Vaike jumped at the invitation. "You finally ready to go, new guy?"

Grant sighed and put his book down."If we must."

"What? No weapon?"

"It goes against my principles as a man of the cloth. You're not my enemy."

Vaike shrugged. "Alright, whatever." He swung his axe wildly. "Stop. dodging. me. Did you take dance or something?"

"I don't particularly want to get smacked by an axe. And yes, I learned dance as a child," Grant said as he continued to dodge. When Vaike swung down, Grant blocked the blow with his gloved hands. He smirked. "Your moves are really predictable, do you know that?"

Vaike grinned."Man, who knew a Priest could be as buff as you."

"By the way, I'm not a Priest. I'm a War Monk. First rule of combat: Know your opponent," Grant said as he pushed Vaike's axe upward and summoned his own axe in his hand. "Alright. _Now_ we can duel properly."

"Why didn't you do that from the start?" Vaike asked.

"I was always taught that violence should only be used when needed."

"Oh, so it's needed against The Vaike, huh?"

"Yes, because currently, I find you quite annoying. If this will shut you up and leave me to my own devices, I'll use it. Come at me!"

*

Viola did her best to keep her concentration, even as the sounds of battle raged outside their tent. Once Miriel said she'd done enough, she bolted outside.

"Grant!" she called.

Grant smiled at her as he tended over Vaike, who was face down in the dirt. After Grant cast Heal, a letter appeared out of the sky with a small _poof_.

"How did it _do_ that?" Viola asked in awe as Grant snatched the letter in mid-air.

"Surprised? Mom and I developed this method of warp-based mail while she and Dad were in Valm, and I was going through my initiation into Naga's Order. It's very useful for correspondence you don't want intercepted by other people. Lady Emmeryn was very keen to know how to do it when I told her about it."

"Dad... Dad... brown hair and... He goes away for jobs a lot, right? I seem to remember he has a sword he really loves..."

"Yeah! He's a Sword Master form Chon'sin. He's not our biological father, but he did help raise us for most of our childhood."

"Dad is Dad," Viola said. "Biology has nothing to do with it."

"I'm glad you still think that. I know he's been worried about you, too. Let's read it, shall we, Sis?"

*  

Miriel stooped to her knees and looked down at Vaike. "I told you Grant was not a mop."

"Did you at least... get some good data on us?" Vaike asked as he tried to catch his breath.

"I did. Hold on, you mean you did not initiate the ritualistic test of strength just for your own display?"

"Nope. Well, sort of. I mean, I did want to test the guy out to see if he was the real deal. Turns out he's a freaking human _tank_ when he wants to be. And he doesn't take kindly to the teasing of his baby sister till she cries. Ugh, that was a mistake. Anyway, I know you like to collect data on the new recruits. It helps you with your personal research, and it helps Viola, right?"

"...Yes. She has often asked to glance over my notes on our members after we are done with lessons. Here, drink this. It's a concoction I made to restore vitality."

"Thanks, babe. You're a life saver."

"Don't misunderstand me. I have need of you later. And if I find out you _did_ make her cry, I will perform experiments on your eyeballs."

"Oh, you want me to help you lift stuff again? No problem! Uh, are you serious? I've never _really_ teased her. Well, aside from a few times. Viola's cute in her own way, I can see her appeal, but The Vaike likes his women with _vavoom,_ which, she ain't got."

"I see. I shall leave you to stew with your thoughts on this _vavoom_. Please drop by my tent during evening lessons. Ricken and Donnel deserve to see an example of a common man's method of problem solving. Theories can only get them so far."

"Wait, I thought Gaius was fronting the lessons tonight? Isn't every other night a 'life skills' night?"

"Princess Lissa requires more tutelage in sewing than he initially thought. She requested more lessons. He cannot manage to be two places at once. Hence, why I need you, a common man."

"I see. Yeah, Teach'll help you er... teach 'em."

"My gratitude."

"Are you _sure_ you don't have anything going on with-? Viola whispered slyly.

"Ah, so you have finished your letter reading? I should warn you, finish that sentence and I will make you recite Ylissen poetry while standing on your head."

"Sorry!" Viola said as she hugged her. "Forgive me?"

"My, what's with the sudden show of affection?"

"Should I not have? I just... you're one of the people I really admire, Miriel. You're like the big sister I never had. You've done a lot for me, and it just... felt right to show it. I'm trying to get better at this sort of thing. I mean, my parents want to meet us soon, and I think it'll be odd if I don't... try this sort of thing."

Miriel smirked and rubbed Viola's head. "No need to apologize. The feeling is mutual. You may be my student, but you are also my friend. Oh, hello, Commander."

"There you are, Viola," Chrom said with a grin. "I've been meaning to catch you up on what Emmeryn wishes to do next."

"You may have her in a bit, Commander. I am not finished showing my affections."

"Okay..." Chrom said.

"What kind of crap deal is this?" Vaike muttered. "Hey Miriel, how come Viola gets hugs and head pats?"

Miriel shot Vaike a cold glare.

"Vaike, why are you on the ground?" Chrom asked.

"Teach is using this position to reflect. He has learned things today, boss."

"Such as?" Chrom prompted.

"Grant is strong. If you try to posture around him, he'll whoop you."

"I already figured that out. Though, I suppose I should try talk with him alone. He's much more knowledgeable about the current state of Plegia. It would help us immensely."

"Chrom!" Viola called as she came towards him. "Is it okay if Grant comes to the meeting, too? He wants to talk with Emmeryn after he washes up. Fighting with a certain someone made him all sweaty."

"Of course, we'd be glad to have him. Oh, did you change your hair?"

"Yeah, I allowed Emmeryn to play with it a bit."

"Did you now? She would play with Lissa's hair like that, too. It looks nice like that."

"Thanks."

"Come on, I'll fill you two in as we walk."

"Um! Chrom!" Viola said.

"Yes?"

"C-can I... maybe...?"

"What is it, Viola?" he asked with a small smile.

"I want... to give you a hug, too. I-is that allowed?"

"Yes, it's allowed. Though, I don't think anyone has really asked to hug me before."

She hugged him tightly. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome." He said with a laugh. "What brought this on?"

"I'm just happy; that's all."

"I see. I'm glad to hear that." He patted her head. "Oh, here comes Grant." Chrom called out to him. "Good timing!"

Grant grinned. "Thanks for waiting for me."

Chrom led the way, with Grant and Viola walking side by side behind him.

"I see. You've been practicing showing affection to the people you love in an effort to get comfortable trying it with Mom and Dad, right?" Grant whispered. "Did you already hug the commander? He seems really giddy."

Viola nodded shyly. "I did. When I said it was because I was happy, he patted my head and I didn't panic this time! It felt nice!"

"Good job! You're almost there, Sis!" Grant said with a smile. "Keep trying!"

"What are you two whispering about back there?" Chrom asked.

"Oh, I was just trying to see if Vi remembered a song Mom taught her back when we were in Plegia," Grant said without missing a beat. "I was trying to prompt her with the lyrics."

Chrom glanced back at them. "Well, do you remember it, Viola?"

Viola gripped Grant's hand. "I do. D-do you want to hear it, Chrom?"

"Sure. I haven't heard a lot of Plegian songs."

The song she sang was gentle, and full of warmth, hope, and wishes for happiness. Grant fought the urge to cry. She had sung that song often as a child. The fact that she was able to recall it without prompting warmed his heart. He'd forgotten how much he missed hearing her.

After she finished, Chrom clapped. "That was very nice, Viola! I, uh, didn't exactly understand the lyrics, but it _sounded_ good!"

Viola blushed and hid halfway behind her brother. "Y-you think so? That did feel pretty natural. Big Brother, did I used to sing a lot?"

Grant beamed. "You did, but you were very shy about it. You only let me hear you for the longest time. You even kept it a secret from Mom, Vi."

"Ah, I did, didn't I?" The smile on her face was full of relief. "Mom used to be a dancer, right? I was afraid she'd put me on stage if she heard me. That's why I always used to do it when I was bathing, or foraging with you in the woods." She felt Grant hold her for a moment.

 _Please Naga,_ Grant thought to himself. _Let these happy days continue for just a bit longer._


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a trap!

It was decided that the Exalt would be taken to a secluded palace to wait out the potential conflict. The Shepherds spent the next few days climbing a particularly dubious mountain path.

"Ugh! My legs feel like pudding! Viola whined. "Chrom, how are you not even winded right now?"

"Do you want me to carry you?" Chrom asked.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll just do this." With a soft thunk, the weights on her wrists dropped to the ground. With them gone, Viola gently floated upward. "A little more Wind magic and... ahhh, much better! Please forgive me, feet." Viola put her hands behind her head and lay back as the wind gently carried her forward.

"And where do you think you're going?" a voice asked.

"Ah! Miriel!" Viola said as she started to attention.

Miriel smirked."This _is_ much nicer than walking. I'm not usually one for such deviance from common spell usage, but a simple trick like this is pleasant. I'm not feeling any ill effects."

Viola smiled. "Isn't it? And I just love the view!"

"Viola!" Chrom called. "Remember what I said about toning your magic down?"

"WHAT? SORRY! I CAN'T HEAR YOU THIS HIGH UP!" Viola called back.

"Is she sassing me?" Chrom asked. He sighed with amusement. "One of these days, I'm going to tie a long string around her waist. That way, I can just reel her back when she goes too far away."

Grant grinned."It's been awhile since I've seen her be this mischievous. She hasn't done something like this in a long time."

Chrom eyed him."Are you doing alright? Emm told me about your... condition. This climb can't exactly be easy for you."

"That's kind of you, Chrom, but don't concern yourself over me too much. Nothing can be done to cure me. As long as I can stay with my sister, I'll be fine. Being around her keeps me calm."

"Is that so? Well, so long as you're in my command, I reserve the right to fret over you."

"If you insist, I can't exactly stop you. Oh good, it looks like Sumia's going after her."

*

"Man, I want to try that spell too, but I don't like heights," Ricken murmured to himself as he glanced skyward.

"Would you like to ride with me on my horse for the remainder instead?" Maribelle asked.

"Oh, thanks Maribelle!"

"Of course, my dear," she said as she helped him climb on. "Are your feet terribly sore?"

"If I say yes, will you laugh at me?"

"Of course not. Anyone who laughs at you for something like this will have to deal with me! Hold still, a little healing spell should relieve it in no time."

"Thanks! That feels so much better."

"Good. Thank you for telling me the truth, Ricken."

"I learned my lesson last time, I promise! Hey, Maribelle, can I hold on to you?"

"Go ahead, but if your hands deviate from my waist, I'm going to bop you with my staff."

*

"So Chrom, who is the man of the cloth?" Grant asked as they continued to walk.

"He's the Hierarch. He's been loyal to our house for ages. He was the one who helped Emm when she first began to rule. Is something the matter, Grant?"

"Yeah, something about this setup is very... familiar."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, in Plegia, there's this tactic we use where a trusted person is called to... Oh no! Chrom! I think he's been bought out! Protect your sisters!"

"What?" Chrom demanded as he ran for Emmeryn.

"How did you know?" the old man demanded.

"Your eyes betrayed you. You're looking for the leader of the ambush, right?"

"Hurry! Take your witch and be done with us!" called the Hierarch. Something swooped down from the sky at a very fast speed. When Grant looked again, the old man had a hand axe buried in his back. A wyvern landed near the dead body.

"Useless pig," said the wyvern's rider as he cleaned his axe. "Now, which witch to pick off first? I'm going to say... the royal one!"

"Lissa, get behind me," Emmeryn said.

"I'll kill you first!" Chrom snapped as he charged forward, blade drawn.

"Chrom don't! You could start a war!" Grant called.

"I'm not going to stand here and see my sisters killed!" Chrom said.

Grant sighed. "Wait, witches....?" Grant's eyes widened and he scanned the skies. Wyvern riders were taking to the air. They'd fallen into an ambush.

"Commander!" Sumia called as she swooped down to land. "We've got people spying on us from the peaks as well."

"You saw them?" Chrom asked as he pushed back some oncoming foot soldiers.

"Yes! One of the archers saw me, but Miriel sent a fire spell at them, so I flew away!"

"None of you are hurt?" Grant asked. "If you need any healing, I can help."

"No!" Sumia said with a smile. "Thanks, Grant."

"Well, that was a fun exercise," Miriel said with a slight smirk as she landed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm, going towards the back of our formation to prepare some more spells. Ricken, you can be my assistant. Those men mounted flyers are going to rush us soon."

"Maribelle, do you mind?" Ricken asked.

"Of course not, any distance fighter who is foolish enough to try to injury you two is in for a nasty surprise. We'll join you in a bit Miriel."

"Wonderful; Vaike!"

"Don't worry Miriel, I'll cover you!"

"Cavalry to the front! Block the swarm!" Chrom called. He turned to look behind him. "Sumia, where is Viola?"

"She's still up in the air. She thought she saw something and went to go check it out herself."

"She's _flying_ through the air?" Chrom said in shock. He stabbed an oncoming mercenary. "Gods, I hope she's not making a target of herself."

"Don't worry! I'm going to go and get her."

"Fly fast, Sumia! They might be after my sister as well," Grant said.

Sumia nodded as she took off. "Right!"

"Grant, why exactly do you think they're after Viola?" Chrom asked.

"Because Viola, well, she used to be a part of the Plegian army." Grant brought the blunt side of his axe down on a fleeing mage. "Mind if I stick with you for this fight, Commander?"

"I'd be glad to have you. Maybe once the fighting is done, you can fill me in a bit more?"

"Of course."

*

Sumia saw Viola up ahead floating around another Pegasus Knight, offering her some water from her bag. "Sumia! Come quick! She's injured!" Viola called once she saw her.

"Ah! Cordelia?" Sumia gasped. "I thought you were patrolling the boarder!"

"I was... We were... ambushed... Plegia is coming to us," said the other knight.

"What? Go towards the back, we have healers!" Sumia said. "Tell Commander Chrom what you know."

"But Sumia..."

"Just go! I can handle this! I promise!"

"Did you come to get me?" Viola asked shyly as she floated over.

Sumia grinned."Of course I did; hop on. Grant's really worried about you."

"Sumia, there are wyvern riders coming for us. One of them looks to be the leader."

"It's fine. We're together now, so it'll be fine. If we wait for them to come to us, will that give you enough time to cast?"

"Yeah. It's breezy here, so Wind spells should be really easy. Please don't be mad at me, little Pegasus!" Viola said as she sent an Elwind spell forward.

"What a good girl!" Sumia said as she rubbed her Pegasus's ears. "Way to stay calm with all that magic whipping around you. She readied a spear. "Oh! Incoming!"

"Nice shot, Sumia!" Viola said. "Do you suppose we can pick off a few more?"

"Absolutely! I've got some more spears I can use. I throw, you cast?"

"Sounds like a good plan."

"See? I told you it would be fine!" Sumia said.

"Oh no, looks like the boss is coming in fast."

"Viola?" the wyvern rider asked in surprise.

"Do I know you?" Viola responded.

The man grinned. "Damn. Looks like the rumors of the memory curse are true. Well, no matter. If I bring you back with me, I'll be sure to be rewarded for finding our little lost witch. Our army just hasn't been the same since you abandoned your post, you know. Be a good girl and get on my wyvern, and I might spare your friend's life. I can put in a good word for you, too. That way they won't treat you like a _total_ traitor."

Viola held tight to Sumia's middle."No way!"

"So that's how it's going to be, huh? Very well then, don't say I didn't try to save you. Her blood is on your hands!" The man said as he readied his axe.

"Do you think I'm scared of you?" Sumia snapped.

"You'd better be! My axe will cut your pretty pony's wings right off!"

"Back off!" Viola snapped as she aimed a Thunder spell. The man just barely evaded it. While he was distracted, Sumia flew straight at him.

"For Ylisse!" she cried as she stabbed her lance into his chest. The man's wyvern thrashed and bucked as the Pegasus stomped on its face with her hooves. The man slipped from the saddle and fell down towards the ground. The wyvern bit off its bridal and clawed at the saddle around its belly. The gear rained down to the ground below. Once it shook itself clean, it flew in the opposite direction.

"Sumia! That was _awesome_!" Viola said as she hugged her.

"Are you okay, Vi?"

"Yeah. I'm okay, are you?"

"Yes, thanks for protecting me from that axe blow."

"Thanks for saving me from stranger danger!"

They laughed and high-fived each other before heading back towards the rest of the group.

"Commander! We're back! ... Commander?" Sumia asked.

"Emmeryn was... Emmeryn was taken," Chrom said. "Lissa said she only took her eyes away from Emm for a moment."

"That doesn't make sense, even with the distraction of that battle, she should have been secure," Grant said.

"Unless she _allowed_ herself to be taken," Viola murmured. "Only, why would she do that?" Viola paused nervously; Chrom had heard her and drew more into himself.

"Commander! Snap out of it!" Sumia said as she deviled a firm blow to his face.

"Sumia! What did you do?" Lissa cried.

"Commander Philia always said the best way to snap someone out of a stupor is a good slap!"

"Sumia, that wasn't a slap, you just punched Chrom in the face!" Lissa said.

"What? Vi! Did I read your signal wrong? You had that look like you wanted someone to do something to snap him out of it!"

"I was going to splash water on him with my magic, not punch him!" Viola sighed. "Regardless, this changes our plan pretty significantly. Now it looks like we have no choice but to head to Plegia."

"Home sweet home," Grant muttered.

Frederick sighed, too."We're going to need some pretty good plans to get us through this. I hope you're up for the challenge, Lady Viola."

"I... I can do it!" Viola said more shakily than she intended. She turned to Chrom and did her best to smile. "Don't worry, Commander! We'll get her back!" We should probably call the Khans for back up. Lon'qu, could you please write to them?"

Lon'qu nodded. "Done."

"Thanks!" Viola turned to Panne. "Panne do you mind being the messenger? You're the fastest runner we have."

"I do not mind. Once he is done writing and you approve of it, I'll be off."

"I'll go with you... as a guard," Lon'qu said.

Panne grinned. "As long as you can keep up with me, you are welcome to."

"Great." Viola said. She turned to Chrom again. "See?"

Despite Sumia's slap, Chrom was still staring off into space. Frederick took him by the arm and led him away from the others. Lissa hurried behind him.

Viola sighed. Positive. She had to stay positive.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hot, and tensions are high. Viola still isn't sure if her brother's wife is actually real. It's a good thing they find a spot to rest.

It was a long, _long_ trek through the desert. "Hey, Chrom?" Viola asked as she glanced beside her. Normally, he would have answered, but her voice was met with silence. "Oh right, he's back with Frederick and the convoy. Hey, Grant, is that little girl being chased by a big guy? She _looks_ like she's being chased, but I'm feeling a bit loopy, I am hallucinating this whole thing?"

"You're not." Grant put his staff down and a soft light spread out and wrapped itself around the girl. "I warped her away from the thug. She'll be coming down soon."

"Gregor is not thug! How can you distrusting cute baby face? Gregor try to help girl escape!" said the big guy.

"That is _not_ a baby face, but okay." Grant made a dive to catch the girl. "Got'cha! Are you okay?"

"Ran-Ran?" said the little girl in shock as she looked up at him.

" _Nowi_?"

"You _know_ her?" Viola asked.

"Back off, strange lady!" said the little girl with a surprising fierceness.

"Nowi, don't!" Grant called.

Viola found herself face-to-face with a dragon.

"Big brother...." Viola called uneasily.

"I SAID STAY AWAY!" roared the dragon.

"Shh, you're safe now little one, don't cry," Grant said, unmoved by the transformation.

"Grant what are you _doing_? That's a dragon!" Viola cried.

"I'll be fine! I know my way around Manaketes!" He stroked the dragon's muzzle. "It's okay to revert, Nowi. None of these people will hurt you."

The dragon did revert to the small girl and then jumped back into his arms. "Ran-Ran! It was so scary! They captured me and made me transform for them and and-!"

"There, there. You're with me now. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Don't be mad at Gergor, okay, Ran-Ran? He really did rescue me!"

Viola eyed him. "Are you 'Ran-Ran'? Where'd you get _that_ nickname?"

Grant smiled shyly."My wife calls me that sometimes."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. It's grown on me."

"Oh, you found your sister, Ran-Ran? Hi, sister! Nowi is Tiki's friend! Sorry if I scared you!"

"I see. Say, Nowi, Tiki is a real person, right?" Viola asked.

"Vi!" Grant snapped.

Viola eyed him. "I still haven't met this 'wife' of yours! For all I know she's made up!"

"Once I know it's safe to take her out of hiding, you can meet her, okay?"

Viola grinned at him and sang a little ditty."Oh, I wish you could meet my girlfriend, who may not exist at all."

Grant glared daggers at her."You know if I burry you in this desert, no one will find your body."

"Like you could catch me, fibber- face!"

"You want to bet on that?"

"Let me get my glove so I can make it official!"

Lissa gently hit both of them with her staff. "As funny as it is to see you two spat like actual siblings; it's way too hot for this! Calm down already and have some juice with us. You too, little miss dragon."

"Yay!" Nowi said. "Gergor, you come too, okay?"

"Oy! Is Gregor still getting paid for the Nowi-sitting?" Gregor asked.

"You are if you know how to use that sword!" Lissa called back to him.

"Gregor accepts job!"

"I'm sorry, Grant," Viola said as she shifted her eyes to the ground.

"I'm sorry, too, Vi. I know being back here is stressing you out. Do you even know why you're so nervous?"

Viola bit her lip. "Of course I don't; if anything the haziness is worse now."

"How are thing with the commander?" Grant whispered. "Have you said anything yet?" Viola stepped behind him, effectively hiding herself. "I'm guessing that's a 'no.' then. Well, if you won't talk to him." Grant ran back to Chrom and the convoy. "What do you say we stop for the night? I know a secluded place with a bathing pool."

"Being able to bathe after all this heat does sound nice, and it'd give Panne and Lon'qu a chance to catch up to us." Chrom said with a sigh. "How's the planning coming? Has Viola said anything about a rescue mission for Emm yet?"

Oh. No wonder Vi was staying quiet.

*

"Ugh. It's entirely too hot," Viola murmured as she submerged herself in the bathing pool.

"Tell me about it," a voice said.

"Oh, Cordelia?" Viola said as she nearly jumped out of the water. "You were so quiet I didn't notice you!"

Cordelia grinned. "I've been taking stealth lessons from Kellam; it looks like they're paying off. Ah, we're the same size..." she murmured.

"Huh?" Viola asked. "What are you talking about? You're way taller than me!"

"N-nothing! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare..."

Viola smiled."It's okay, honestly, my eyes trailed to your wounds, too. Are they healing okay?"

"Oh, right, my wounds. The ones on my body are healing, yes. It's going to take some time still to get the screams of dying Pegusi out of my head. Those flying archers were absolutely ruthless."

"I'm sorry! I brought up something painful, didn't I? I don't actually... remember my wounds all that well. That's the one upside to my amnesia, I guess. Some of the bad things can be forgotten, but then it leaves a lot more questions that I just can't answer. In a lot of ways, I'm not even sure if I'm the same person I used to be. That scares me."

"Well, for what it's worth, I like you as you are."

"I like you, too! Um, I was wondering, can we be genius buddies?" Viola asked.

Cordelia smiled. "Haha! When you call me that, it doesn't sound like an insult."

Viola ducked into the water. "Oh, gosh! I didn't mean for it to be! It's just people keep calling you a genius, too. So I thought.... Though, I guess, I don't really like it either. It's a lot of pressure, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It's okay though, we can be genius buddies. I'd actually like to be friends with you, if that's alright."

"Of course it is! Actually, would you mind listening to my various plans? I need as many sounding boards as I can get."

"Is Commander Chrom one of them?"

"No! Absolutely not! He and Lissa are both rightfully shaken by Emmeryn's capture. They could take any hole in my strategies as a way for their sister to die. I... don't want to put them through that."

"Are you going to be okay?" Cordelia asked.

"Honestly, I'm terrified. In one hand, I have Emmeryn's life. In the other, I have everyone else's. I don't like these odds at all! I need to figure out a way I can rearrange them into something favorable."

"That's good, try to think of it as a puzzle. I know you've solved lots of hard puzzles before. Virion just raves about your chess matches."

"He's a surprisingly fun opponent, and a lot more clever than I first thought."

"And Sumia has told me a lot of fun stories of the creative ways you've used you magic."

"Ahaha, but those got me in trouble with Chrom. Actually, I've noticed you go talk to him frequently. How ....is he?"

"You... haven't talked to him since then?"

"I-I'm scared to!"

"Viola, I'm sure he's not mad at you."

"That's not it! Until I get Emmeryn back safely, I can't..." Viola blushed. "I just can't!"

Cordelia pulled her into a hug. "The worst thing you can do is leave things unsaid."

"Alright. I'll... try to talk to him. I'm not sure what good it'll do if he's still feeling down, but you're right. I almost forgot! I promised Sully she could bathe next. I'm probably way over my time. Oh!"

Cordelia watched Viola's finger touch the pool. A wave of magic spread out over the water, giving it a clear appearance. "Is that a restore spell?"

"Uh, miss!" said the young cleric. "I could have done that! It's my job to restore the baths, you know!"

"Sorry! It's just you looked a little tired. I thought I'd give you a little break."

"That's kind of you, miss!" Viola took a towel from the cleric and left. The cleric hovered around the bathing pool after Cordelia exited. "Wow! I've never seen someone do that spell with just a finger! I wonder if that was really her?"

"Really who?" Cordelia asked as she dried her hair.

"The Dragon's Daughter. That lady sure _looks_ like her. Only, if that is her, why's she with you lot? Last I heard she up and vanished on a secret mission."

Cordelia paused. She had heard of that name before. A few years back, a powerful tactician had entered Plegia's army. Apparently, they were so good, that the locals compared that person to their god, Grima. Cordelia shook her head. Shy little Viola? No way.

*

"Oh Grant. Sorry to disturb you," Chrom said as he entered the men's bathing area. "Frederick said you were done."

"It's alright, Chrom. I did tell Frederick that. I just used a restore spell on the bath water and then had to take a few deep breaths for a moment. I got a little winded in the heat."

"You didn't have to do that, Grant. I can handle slightly-used bath water."

"Mother always taught us that it's the polite thing to do when sharing a space," Grant said.

When Grant exited the bath, Chrom noticed the elaborate tattoo of a roaring black dragon that reached from his neck down to the back of his left leg where the tail ended.

Grant smiled, seemingly aware of Chrom's stare. He wrapped a towel around himself. "Do you like it? Before you ask, yes, it's of Grima."

"It's very... detailed."

"I didn't ask to have it. All I remember is that it hurt like hell. I honestly, thought I would die on that table. It felt like my whole body was being bitten repeatedly by fiery teeth."

"If you didn't ask for it then why?" Chrom asked as he dropped his gear on the ground.

"It's a long story."

"I have time. What does that signify?"

Grant sat on a rock and began to dry his hair."Well, I'm carrying his power, so the Grimleal marked me accordingly."

"His power? As in the actual dragon god?"

Grant fluffed out his robes before dressing himself. He turned away when Chrom began to strip. "Yes. My condition.... is the conflict of our separate wills. He's trying to kill me so he can move on to a stronger host. He hasn't gotten me yet, but I don't know how much longer I can win against him. Each time he tries, it hurts me more and more."

"Grant..."

"Don't pity me, Chrom. I chose this burden of my own will. They wanted to do the ritual to Vi initially, since she's much smarter and more magically powerful than I am, but I tricked them."

Chrom dunked his head into the water. "How on earth did you manage that?"

"Oh, our mother helped me pull it off. We got our magic ability from her. It took a combination of Vi's old clothing, me growing my hair out, and Mother's glamour. I still had to learn how to mimic Vi's mannerisms to be a convincing double, but I pulled it off. They didn't realize the mistake until after the ink had bound itself to my skin. I think the tattoo artist got beheaded when the village leader found out, poor man."

"So, it's not a normal tattoo, then?"

Grant chuckled."Not in the slightest. The tattoo ink is made of Grima's own blood. They only use it on the most worthy candidate to act as a vessel for his spirit. There's a theory that his soul can reside in a human body and every generation or so, they check for compatibility. Now, he's stuck with me. The fact they used such a precious resource so carelessly really upset our village's priest." Despite himself, Grant had a smug grin at the corner of his mouth. "It's why I chose to became a priest of Naga. I can't harm anyone if all I can do is cast healing magic and he _hates_ that." Grant clutched his chest. "Gah!"

Chrom moved to rush out of the bathing pool. "Grant!"

Grant held up his hand to stop him. "I'm fine... really.... He's not going to kill me this time either!"

"Does Viola... know about this?"

"I don't think so. If she were to see the tattoo, she might recall it. I don't _want_ her to remember. It'll only make her cry for me again. She didn't speak to me at first after she found out about it."

"I see."

"Chrom, I know you trust my sister's plans, but beyond her talents, she's still a human girl, she's not some reincarnated goddess of victory. Please remember that."

"Of course I know that. We all do."

"Sometimes, I'm so sure. You in particular asked her to answer an impossible question, not only that, but to find an answer that fits your needs. Gods above, I know she's trying to give you what you want, but even she has her limits. This whole thing is stressing her out. She _thinks_ she's hiding it from me, but I know her habits. She's falling into all of her bad ones again."

"I trust she can save Emm. She _has_ to."

Grant sighed."Do me a favor, would you, Chrom? Until all this is settled down, leave my sister alone. Honestly, she's burdened enough just being back here. It's gotten bad enough that I've started to make sleep spells for her. If you need anything, come to me, okay? I'm just as capable as Vi is in many regards. If we run into trouble along the way, I can strategize some plans in her place."

Chrom watched the water for a moment. "I... see. Give her space. Yeah. I can do that."

Grant smiled."Thank you, Commander."


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shepherds gain an unexpected comrade during a surprise attack.

The rest of the march was long, hot, and awkwardly silent. Granted, this did not seem like the best place for idle conversation. Those with mounts were forced to walk them because of the deceptive depth of the sands. Sully, didn’t seem to mind it, but Stahl’s poor stomach growled constantly. Sumia walked beside Cordelia, but kept her eyes ahead to where Chrom, Lissa, Grant and Viola were. Their formation was different than usual. Each pair of siblings kept close to each other and didn’t say a word. Usually, there would be chatter. Had something happened?

“Hold her for me, would you?” Sumia asked as she handed Cordelia the reins. She carefully jogged her way to the front.

“Vi, what’s wrong?” Sumia whispered.

It was like Viola didn’t hear her. “She’s here.”

Before Sumia could ask who, a sandstorm hit suddenly. Too suddenly. When the storm passed, they were surrounded by enemy soldiers.

“Vi, what should we do?” Sumia whispered in her ear.

Viola’s eyes were frantically scanning for something.

"Tharja!" Viola called as she ran ahead.

"Viola, wait!" Sumia cried as Viola dashed for the woman, seemingly oblivious to the other soldiers around her. Sumia held Chrom back with her whole body. "Commander! Don't order an attack yet!"

"Sumia, why are you stopping me?" Chrom demanded. “She could get killed if I don’t-”

"That’s Vi's friend," Sumia said softly. "I promised Vi we'd help her if we found her again."

Chrom watched as Viola basically fell into the woman’s arms. He’d… never seen her do that with anyone other than Grant.

" _Viola_? What are you doing back here?" the woman asked.

"I... the grimleal and Lady Emmeryn and... and...” Viola began to cry. “Tharja! I can’t remember anything!"

"Shh, don't worry. The bad men won't hurt you while I'm here," she said gently.

“Tharja! What the hell? The enemy is right there! Attack while we have the element of surprise!” said her commander.

“Shut up, I’m busy.” Tharja said as she released a dark magic spell and flung him into the sand. “Anyone _else_ want to order me around?”

Nobody said a word. Viola tugged on Tharja’s sleeve and led her back to the Shepherds by the hand.

"Wasn't that one of your own men?" Chrom asked in horror when they approached.

"I'm changing my alliance. Since Viola is on your side, I'm joining it as well.” Tharja’s eyes narrowed. “Or do you object?"

Chrom turned to Sumia."You're _positive_ of her relationship to Viola?"

"I am; I remember the name because _she_ remembered it," Sumia said with a small nod.

Tharja’s expression noticeably softened. “You… remember me?”

Viola nodded shyly.

“Grant!” Chrom called.

“What is it, Commander? Oh, hi, Tharja! I didn’t know you changed troops.”

“We all decided it was best for us to scatter after our boss left,” Tharja said. She turned around; her smile was menacing and wide. “Whoops, looks like the guy I flung wants to try to have the others stab me in the back. Hehehehehe.”

The dark magic spell she cast seemed to swallow the ground they were standing on.

“ _Now_ can we attack?” Chrom asked.

“Do whatever you want. I don’t care what happens to these guys,” Tharja said as she held Viola’s hand and led her towards the convoy. The two of them sat together in the back of the wagon. Tharja sat patiently and waited for Viola to calm down.

"Viola, how much do you remember?" Tharja asked.

"I remember you and I were friends, is that still right?" Viola asked.

"Yes. You've been my friend since we were young. You lit a particularly handsy lord's robes on fire when you saw how he was ogling me."

"I did that?" Viola said as she covered her mouth with her hands.

“I’ve adored you ever since. I didn't _want_ you to cross the border with just your stupid, sickly, brother as protection, but you swore to me it was the only way you could accomplish your goal."

"What was that?" Viola asked shyly. “I’ve been trying to remember _why_ I left, but I just can’t.”

"I don't know. You were very secretive with me, it was very unlike you. Usually you detailed your plans to me and I looked for the flaws."

"Oh, right! Um, were you serious about joining our cause? I'd very much like to have you with me, Tharja. I've... missed you a lot."

Tharja pulled her into a hug."I've missed you, too."

"I... remember this. You're soft and comfy."

"Good. I used to hold you like this whenever that bastard got his hands on you. I'd count the strikes. Then I'd curse him with a cold, or a rash, something to make him just as miserable as he made you. It was the least I could do. If I could ruin his face, even better."

“Uh-huh. I was always worried you’d get caught. Where are the others?”

“Who exactly do you recall, Viola? We met a lot of people in the army.”

“Um, a thief with red hair, and she was…. missing an eye. Ru…?”

“Runa. She was our thief.”

“Runa, right. She and our archer… Teal?”

“Telle.”

“They were always together. In a love-love kind of way, right?”

Tharja smiled softly. “They’re still girlfriends, if that’s what you were worried about.”

“I’m glad. They were always fun to be around, especially when I was feeling like this. Oh! What about Henry? I remember I knew him before the army, like you.”

“He went and got himself promoted because of an incident I won’t go into.”

“Oh. Was it bad? I hope we don’t have to fight him.”

“It was bloody, yes, but don’t worry, he’s content and contained.”

“And then there was, um, Leo?”

“Right. Our dumb meat shield _still_ doesn’t know when to give up.”

“What happened to him?”

“He fought a large group by himself, _again_. Marie managed to save his sorry butt after a particularly nasty five to one fight, but she demanded that he marry her afterwards.”

“She really loved him, right? Ah! D-did she use _that_ healing spell?”

Tharja grinned. “Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t. I didn’t pry. I let them be alone to work out whatever bottled up emotions they had. She could have just been scared at the thought of losing her best source of protection. Clerics can only do so much on their own.”

“Where are they now?”

“They are also together. They’re in a little church helping others and all that sap. She’s gotten rather fat lately. Bun in the oven and all that.”

“They started a bakery?”

Tharja giggled. “Ah, you’re still naïve. Thank goodness, he hasn’t corrupted you.”

“You mean Chrom?”

“Who else could I possibly be talking about, you goose? How on earth did you run into him, of all people?”

“He, um, he found me so… it made sense to go with him since I couldn’t remember much about myself.”

“ _Viola_!”

Viola winced at her tone. “He’s actually really nice! He’s not like the rumors at all!”

“Hmm, you don’t _seem_ traumatized.” Tharja put her hand to Viola’s forehead. “No fever, either. Gods above, do you really _like_ these people? We’ve been at almost war with them for years now!”

“I know, I know. But! I really, do like them! They’re my friends and comrades. They’ve helped me regain myself so far so… please be nice to them. Especially to Sumia, okay? I'm not going to replace you, ever, but she's my friend, too."

"Is that so? She was the one who stopped us from being attacked, right? Well, since you asked, I'll see if I can get along with her. She seems a little too sunny for my taste, but if it means we can stay together this time, I'll deal with her, and everyone else."

“Thank you. Is it okay… if I sleep near you? I haven’t… been sleeping all that well.”

“That’s not surprising given all that’s been going on,” Tharja said as she rubbed Viola’s head. “Don’t worry. I promise you’ll sleep just fine while you’re with me. Just like always.” She began to hum.

" _There_ you two are. You snuck away from all the action,” Grant said. “Tharja, can I have my sister back? Chrom wants her."

Tharja’s eyes narrowed."No. As you can see she is quite comfy where she is. Besides, I’m not done with removing her nightmare. Now where was I? I lost my rhythm thanks to you."

Grant paused. "That song..."

"Are you surprised to hear me hum it?"

“A little, yes. That’s one of our mother’s lullabies, you know.”

“I know. I’ve always liked it for its darker tone. It’s comforting in its own way, for the baby, at least.” Tharja continued to rub Viola’s head, despite the tears falling from her eyes."She taught it to me, you know? This song, how this magic can be used for something other than causing pain, but now she... she doesn't remember! And _I'm_ supposed to sit idly by as she follows that buffoon around like a baby chick? I won't!"

Grant smiled a defeated smile. "I know. Sometimes it really, really hurts to see her as she is now, but she's _happy_ , Tharja."

"If we end up going into a full scale war, she won't be! They’re planning to kill the Exalt, you know! If that happens, what was all of this for?”

Grant swore under his breath. “Do you know when they’re going to execute her?”

“Soon. Our high and mighty King wants to make it a big show. He’s watching you, you know.”

“I was afraid of that. I hope our backup gets here soon. Viola’s plan needs them to get here before the King can guess her next move.”

“Grant, do you really trust these people, or are you just staying with them because of your sister?”

“I’ve come to trust them, yes. They are good people, Tharja. They’ve been very kind to us.”

“If she had just stayed with us then... then-!"

"You know she couldn't do that." Grant said softly. “Not when she heard what the King was planning. She had to try and warn them, even if they were the enemy, even if it cost her.”

Tharja rubbed her eyes on her sleeve. "I want her back! I want _my_ Viola back, damn it!” her expression darkened. “And _you!_ What the hell, Grant? Where were you when she was wandering alone with no memories?"

“I was with her at first, but I had a really bad attack shortly after we crossed the border. We managed to escape the patrol, but I had to, um, borrow some strength to make sure we could do that.”

“And so that thing inside you took that as invitation to try kill you. Idiot. I bet you knocked yourself out good after that stunt.”

“I did. By the time I regained consciousness, Vi was long gone. I tried to chase after her, but I didn’t have the strength on my own. My wife had to come and get me, and boy, was she _mad_ at me. Normally, I don’t feel the age difference between us but…”

“Aww, did she ground you because you went against her wishes?” Tharja eyed him mischievously. “Or maybe she spanked you for being such a reckless child?”

Grant blushed deeply. “I’m not going to give you details on that!”

Tharja laughed. “Yes, yes, so your beloved wife caught you using a power you _promised_ her you wouldn’t dig into. Continue.”

“After that, _then_ I got chewed out by my mentor in the Order for what I did. The whole thing was super embarrassing and I was forced into bed rest. I couldn’t even try to find Vi until about a month after it happened; nobody would let me leave the Order until they were sure I was fully myself. It was around that time that Emmer-the Exalt started coming to see us and I found out that Vi had joined Chrom’s little army. Of course, I went to see her as soon as the Order would let me, but by that time, the damage had already been done.”

Tharja held Viola close, like she might a favorite toy. “Just so you know, he’s not allowed to wake her up if it’s just going to make her sad again.”

Grant sighed. “I suppose it’s my own fault that they’ve become all awkward with each other now. All I wanted was for him to understand the pressure she’s been under but it seems he’s taken it to mean stay away.” He got up. “I’ll tell him what Vi has planned up to this point so she can sleep a little longer, okay? But you have to give her back eventually, Tharja.”

“Never.”

Grant sighed.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much for a calming tea break.

Grant gritted his teeth. The tension in the air was thick, and there still wasn’t any word from Panne or Lon’qu as to whether the two khans were coming to their aide.

“I _asked_ you to bring Viola, Grant,” Chrom said.

Grant could tell Chrom was trying to keep his voice calm, but it wasn’t working very well. It was like his voice wanted to punch him in the face. “And I told _you_ she was sleeping, Commander,” Grant snapped back.

“Damn it, Grant! I’m trying my best to do what you asked of me! But I still… Viola explains these things in a way that always makes sense to me.”

Grant sighed loudly. “We’ve gone over it about five times now. Are you still confused? Because we can’t move until we’re all very clear on what we’re doing.”

“Arugh!” was the only response out of Chrom’s mouth.

“Chrom, you sit and think this over.” Lissa tugged on Grant’s sleeve. “Come show me how to make that really tasty tea, Grant!”

“Oh, alright, Lissa. A break would do us all some good.”

“You’ve been really mean to my brother, you know,” she whispered in his ear.

“ _Me_? He’s the one snapping!”

“He wants to see Viola, dummy! He’s really, really worried about her, but _somebody_ said to back off.”

“Well, I know she’d hate for him to see her when she’s that stressed.” Grant glanced back towards the tent. “She’s always been like that.”

“Maybe she was before, but is she still like that? Because if you asked me, I’d say she’s been really lonely since he stopped meeting with her.”

When they returned to the commander’s room, they found Tharja waiting outside, as if she were watching something. When they saw what she saw, Grant nearly spit out his gulp of calming tea.

*

Viola had entered the room so quietly that Chrom had barely noticed she’d come in. The only thing that alerted him was the small trail of white cloth that fluttered out of the corner of his eye. Her hair was down, and she seemed to be searching for something in the room.

“Viola? Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” Chrom asked.

“Couldn’t sleep, not really. Too many ghosts,” she said.

“Ghosts?”

“Voices and faces I can’t… place. I heard your voice and…”

Chrom grimaced. “Oh, sorry. I was sort of yelling, wasn’t I?”

“I heard it; so I… wanted to find it. Like before, you know?”

“When we first met, right?” Chrom chuckled. “You remembered my name before you remembered yours.”

“You must have been important to me then, too; enough to betray my country.”

She turned towards him. Her eyes were focused on him, but they had a colorlessness to them, as if the brown had been washed out. Where had he seen eyes like that before?

Viola continued as if he had responded. “They kill traitors, you know. I’ve seen them do it. Once, a messenger died where he stood because the king didn’t like his report. If he sees me with you, he might… I don’t want to work for him again! He was mean!” she hugged herself and fought back a whimper. “And he’ll have the other soldiers do scary things if they catch me! I know some of the punishments don’t kill you, but I’ve heard it always… really hurts! I don’t… like pain…”

Chrom felt his heart sink. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone do anything scary or hurtful towards you, I promise.”

“You don’t... hate me?” she asked.

“Of course I don’t hate you. Why would you think that?”

“I haven’t seen you for days! Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?”

“Oh, no, no, no! Grant ask me to give you space. I’ve been trying to be respectful of that.”

“Oh. But I like it when you come to see me.”

“I like seeing you, too. I’ve actually really missed talking to you like this.”

 _Now_ he remembered! Clear eyes were a sign of being under a truth spell. He’d seen a number of spies and rebels with that look when he went to interrogate them. Without thinking, he scooped her up and pressed her close to him.

“Your heart is beating really fast,” she remarked.

Chrom gulped and squeezed her tighter. Grant and Lissa could walk in at any moment, but he didn’t want Viola wandering around the camp in her current state.

“You know, Emm’s probably at Traitor’s Way. It’s this big cliff with a long drop in the castle courtyard. I hate that place.”

“Why? What happens there?”

“The people who end up there die in the most public and humiliating ways the king can think up. After the executions, they just… leave the bodies on display. I really hate when they put the heads on spikes. Crows will peck out eyes and…” She squirmed in his arms a bit, her feet dangled in mid-air, as if she was trying to run away.

Plegia as a nation was very reflective of its current ruler. Unlike Ylisse, which had a royal bloodline, Plegia used something more akin to the warriors of Ferox to determine their leadership. Only the strongest could attempt to lead the country.

Chrom waited for her to calm down before he spoke again. “For the life of me, I’ll never understand how a sweet girl like you ended up in that army.”

“We didn’t join because we wanted to. We were forced. They’d been scouting us, er, me without our knowledge. I think someone in our village tipped them off. They came to our house when Dad was on a job. They broke the door and threatened our mom, threatened our entire village if we… I… didn’t comply. I was so scared, but I didn’t want to lose my family. Still, I’ll never get those four years back.”

“I’m starting to _really_ hate that man. Wait, four? You mean he recruited you when you were _twelve_? No child should be forced to go to war! I mean, I still feel unsure about allowing Ricken and Donnel to join us, but at least they’re fourteen, and consented to it!”

“Hey, Chrom, you remember that man, the one who cast the dark magic on me?”

How could he forget something like that? “Yes, why?”

“I know Frederick told me he’s dead, but I still hear his voice sometimes. He talks to this shadowy thing about fate. Sometimes his head pops from his neck and he just… _looks_ at me like he knows I’m there with him! I don’t like it! I want him to go away!”

Chrom paused. He’d killed the man, yes, but he hadn’t gone so far as to decapitate him. “I’m sorry. You’ve been having a lot of nightmares recently, haven’t you?”

“I always have nightmares before big missions like this. Mom always used to kiss me on the head to calm me down,” she said. “But I think being around you helps, too.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I wish I had the power to make all the scary things go away. If I could, I would.”

“Ah, Chrom? How did I get in here?” Viola asked. Her voice was still a little dazed.

As long as she didn’t look up at him, he could hide his blush. “Ahem! You sleep walk, apparently. You came in here and sleep talked with me for a bit. You told me some interesting things about Plegia. It wasn’t anything embarrassing for you, I promise. I um, I grabbed you so you wouldn’t wander around.”

As it turns out, she did look up at him, and blushed even deeper than he did. Thankfully, the brown color had returned to her eyes.

“Gods above,” she muttered. “I don’t think I’ve ever sleep talked before. Good thing I was with you! To think I could have spilled my guts to anyone in the camp! Still, I wonder how I was able to recall anything. Was it interesting?”

“Very,” Chrom placed her down. “I think it’s because you were unconscious. Your mind was able to recall things it wouldn’t normally because of your memory loss. Hey, do you mind telling me the plan? I want to hear it from you, not your brother.”

Viola rubbed her eyes. “The idea is that we use Gaius’s lock picking skills rescue to Philia, then she and the other Pegasus Knights act as back up in the air. One of them should be able to swoop in to get Emmeryn out of harm’s way. The khans would help us with our numbers on the ground. If we’re careful, we can extract Emmeryn, and then regroup and plan our next move.”

“I see. It’s a good plan, but risky.”

“I know, I kind of hate this plan for the risks, but it’s the best chance we’ve got to succeed without anyone dying. Everyone’s already aware of it, and has agreed to do their part. I just need to know if the khans are coming or not. Having reduced numbers on the ground will make it that much harder to pull off.” Viola glanced down and noticed she was still in her nightgown. “Ack! I should get changed!”

“There’s a changing room in the back you can use,” Chrom said. “You should have a drawer with your name on it. Frederick likes to keep extra clothing stocked.”

“Thank you! I see it!” She continued to talk to him from behind the curtain. “I really hope nothing has happened to Panne and Lon’qu. I mean, they’re not late yet, but…”

“I highly doubt that. Those two are very capable. You’re staying with us, aren’t you? After this, I mean.”

“I want to. Is that… okay?”

“Of course it is. We like having you with us.”

“Remind me to thank Frederick later, okay?”

“Why?”

“He was so meticulous about the spare outfit that he even remembered to include some ribbons for mine. These look new, so he must have bought them for me.”

Chrom nodded to himself. “That’s a very Frederick thing to do.”

“Hey, I’m going to try something different with my hair, be honest about it, okay?”

*

“Tharja, what the _hell_ did you do to my sister?” Grant demanded softly.

“I had to know some things for sure.” Tharja said. “For example, ‘how much does Viola trust this man?’ I also had to determine whether or not he is worthy of that trust. I didn’t make her go to him. Her feet took her where she wanted to be. I only used a very mild truth hex. The results have proven very interesting.”

“Hey, Grant, are people of the cloth allowed to swear?” Lissa asked as she took a sip of her tea.

Grant bit his lip.

“ _That’s_ the question that comes to your mind?” Tharja asked with interest.

Lissa smiled. “Yeah, because hearing Grant swear is way more surprising to me. Those two have been like that for awhile now. Most of the Shepherds know about it, too. If you ask me, they should just smooch already and see if that’s where they want to take their relationship. I certainly wouldn’t mind having Viola be part of our family.”

Tharja squeaked an inhuman noise.

“Tharja, are… you okay?” Grant asked.

“Her first adult kiss! Her face… would be absolutely precious! I must witness it!”

“Tharja, _no_!” Grant said as he made a dive for her.

“Do I even _want_ to know what you all are doing out here?” a voice asked.

“Oh! Hi Lon’qu!” Lissa said. She waved her free hand “Welcome back!”

“Forgive the delay,” Panne said. “I got my foot caught in a nasty trap and he insisted we stop and rest.”

Lissa noticed Panne was favoring one leg over the other.

“And now that we’re back safely, I’m going to insist on it again,” Lon’qu said.

Panne sighed. “Very well, but I require some of that Feroxi tea that dulls pain.”

“I’ll make some for you as soon as I tell those two the results,” Lon‘qu turned to Lissa. “They are both in there, right?”

“Yes, but knock first!” Lissa said.

“Chrom, Viola? We’ve got the backup of the East and West khans,” Lon’qu said through the door.

When Viola answered the door, Lon’qu noticed her hair was tied back loosely with only one ribbon, but braids ran along the side of her head. “That style…”

“Oh, you like it? My mom wears it like this a lot.”

“It’s a style the women of Chon'sin wear.”

“Oh! It _is_ , isn’t it? Thanks for reminding me!”

“It looks… nice on you. Thank you… for those… p-protective kisses….It saved Panne’s life!”

Viola blushed. “It did?”

“Yes. A bad trap slowed her down, that arrow would have killed her, but some magic deflected it, giving me enough time to get her out. She said the magic wind had your smell. So, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m grateful it helped. Alright. We’re going ahead with the plan. Thanks, Lon’qu.”

“Oh, one more thing, she’s… my wife now. I asked Basilio to marry us while we were there.”

“Congratulations!” she said. She glanced over at Panne, who smirked at her and nodded.

*

“So when are we going to enact this plan?” Chrom asked as soon as Viola reentered.

“Now, basically. Once I give the signal, Cordelia’s going to fly Gaius to where they’re keeping the Pegasus Knights. Oh, Chrom?”

“What is it?”

“Bend down a little bit for me?”

“Okay, what’s-?”

Viola leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the forehead. “Please believe me when I say I’ll do everything in my power to save your sister.”

“I don’t under-” Chrom began.

“You protected me by waking me up from that bad dream. So now I’m protecting you from any nightmares you might have.”

Chrom blushed. “Forgive me! I should have told you…”

“That you knew about that old wives tale? Why should you ask forgiveness for that?”

“It’s not exactly a custom in my country. Kisses can mean different things, you know?”

“I know that! That’s why I only give the above the nose kind! Those are charms of protection and safety. If I were to kiss someone on the mouth or below, _that’s_ saying ‘I love you.’ Does that make sense?”

Chrom nodded.

Viola sighed. “Well, I should go prep Gaius and Cordelia.”

“Viola!”

She looked back at him. “What is it?”

“I… have something I want to talk to you about after we get Emm home safely. It’s a proposal I’ve been thinking about for a while now.”

“Oh, you’ve started planning ahead? That’s great! Okay! I’ll listen to it.”

“And um, that hairstyle looks nice on you!”

“Thanks. That’s what Lon’qu said, too!”

“Wait, Lon’qu can compliment girls now?” Chrom asked in shock.

“It seems so. Bye Chrom!”

“Damn it!” Chrom muttered when she was out of earshot. “How was I outdone in flirting by Lon’qu of all people?”

A few moments later, after Viola left, Lissa reentered the tent and handed Chrom a cup of tea. “You should have kissed her when you had the chance, you slowpoke!”

“I know, I know! But it didn’t feel right when she was like that. Wait, were you _watching_ me?” Chrom took a sip of tea and balked. “Gah! No wonder this tea is so cold!”

“Oh shush, Maribelle insists that this kind of tea is fine hot or cold. Yes, we saw bits of it, but not the whole thing. I did my best to give you two as much alone time as I could.”

Chrom laughed softly. “Thanks.”

“Grant just might murder Tharja for casting that truth spell on Viola.”

“Ah, so that’s how that happened. Somehow, I doubt he’ll succeed. I suppose I can understand Tharja’s reasoning; though, I certainly wouldn’t resort to curses.” Chrom took another sip. “Hmm, Maribelle is right, it’s not bad cold.”

“So we’re really going to march tomorrow?”

“Yes, to a place called Traitor’s Way. That should be where they’re keeping Emm. Lissa, you might… see some terrible things there.”

“You can’t make me stay back, Chrom! She’s my sister, too!” She put her hand on top of his. “I’m going with you no matter what! Sure, from what I overheard, that place does sound scary, but I’m positive I can help. Please let me. ”

“Alright, I will.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant has been having his own issues.

With Gaius and Cordelia off on their mission, the rest of the Shepherds hurried to Plegia’s castle courtyard.

“Ah, Big Brother! Someone’s being attacked by some guards!” Lissa called.

It was Grant who rushed ahead of the others. “Libra! Duck!” He then threw a hand axe at the person’s attacker. When the man was down, Grant ran to their side.

“Thank you for aiding me, Grant,” they said with a heavy sigh. “Though, you didn’t have to throw your axe quite so heavily. I think I saw an arm go flying.”

Grant snorted with a slight indigence.

“Grant?”

“It’s… nothing. Honest… Libra, why are you by yourself? Where are the others? You said you had a team of seven when you last wrote to me.”

“We were ambushed. Twice. Between those and numerous smaller scuffles, I lost every one of them.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“They knew the risks.” Libra sighed again. “Still, it’s been disheartening to be the only one remaining. I am glad to see you are well. Did you find your little sister?”

“That’s her over there. She’s next to Princess Lissa,” Grant said as he pointed her out.

Libra smiled. “I see; she’s very cute.”

“Oh, right, Lissa! My friend needs a Mend spell!” Grant called as he waved her down.

“Really now Grant, I hardly need the attention,” Libra scoffed.

“Coming!” Lissa said. “Hey! I’ve seen you use healing spells before, Grant!”

“I _would_ do it myself, but I sort of can’t right now.”

“Geez! You overdid it, didn’t you?” Lissa said as healed Libra. She shot Grant a look. “You’re next, you know. Honestly, you’re just as reckless as Viola sometimes.”

“I am not!”

“You are so! I _saw_ how you got that arrowhead jabbed in your arm before you threw your axe, mister! I mean, yeah you’re pretty awesome! But you’re not a one man army!”

“My thoughts exactly, young princess,” Libra said with a laugh. “I hope you can forgive my pupil.”

“Ah, so you do know each other!” Lissa said. “I figured you might, since Grant was the one who rushed ahead. He doesn’t usually do that. That’s more Viola’s thing.”

Grant flushed. “Lissa, this is my teacher from Naga’s Order, Libra.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Libra!” She leaned in closer to him. “Wow, I never knew a man could have such a pretty face!”

Libra blushed. “Ah, you can tell I’m a man?”

“Yeah! I mean, you’re a War Monk like Grant, right? That’s a title only granted to Priests once they achieve the proper inner enlightenment and training.”

Libra smiled gently. “Very good.”

“I may be a princess, but _am_ a Cleric. Though, I might not be for much longer. Maribelle, that’s my friend with the curls, she’s been teaching me horseback so I can heal people like she does. I want to be able to reach the people who need me as quickly as possible, you know?”

Libra nodded. “Yes, yes, I know the feeling.”

Lissa glared at Grant again. “Keep an eye on him, okay, Libra?”

“As my princess commands.”

“Wow, Libra,” Grant remarked as Lissa left. “I’ve never seen you talk so naturally with someone outside of the Order before.”

“She has a warm, if fiery spirit. As she said, she _is_ a Cleric.”

Grant clutched his chest and suppressed a cry of pain.

“Is it another attack?”

Grant grinned sheepishly. “If I told you ‘yes,’ would you be mad? Ever since we’ve come back here they’ve been happening more regularly.”

Libra smiled. “I would not. Your ferocity has saved my life, after all. Oh yes, that reminds me, I have a message for you from Lady Tiki. Ahem, ‘Don’t do anything stupid this time, Ran-Ran.’ I’m inclined to agree with her.”

“You just said you wouldn’t be mad!”

“Anger and concern are not the same thing,” Libra said. “Try to be calm.”

“I _am_ trying. It’s been stressful for all of us lately. It’s hot, and I hate this place. Unlike my sister, I remember everything we went through to get out, and now we’re back in. If either of us are brought before the Mad King, we’re dead, assuming he doesn’t torture us first. I don’t care what he might do to me; I can handle it, but I’ve _seen_ what kind of punishments he orders for the women, Libra! The thought of my sister enduring something like that sickens me to my core.”

“It seems to me that you’ve been just as bad as your sister at bottling up your feelings.” He ignored Grant’s surprised look. “Of course I’ve been reading your letters even as I’ve been traveling, you’re still my pupil; so of course I worry about you.” Libra put his hand on Grant’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Grant. Focus on your breathing. You know he feeds the most when you are panicked. I know you fear for your sister, but I can already tell you both are very loved by those around you.”

“She’s the one that’s so loved by this group, not me. I’m just…”

“Grant? Don’t doubt yourself so much. You are more than a tool to be used; please remember that.”

Grant said nothing.

“Hey Mister, is Ran-Ran okay?” Nowi asked as she approached them. “His heart is going bumpity bump.”

“Oh dear. I do hope you’ll forgive me for this when you regain yourself fully, Grant.” Libra said. He then proceeded to put Grant in a headlock. “Foul beast! Be gone! You’re not welcome here!”

“And here I thought I was doing a much better job at concealing myself,” said Grant’s voice.

“Release him!” Libra commanded.

“And if I refused? That woman isn’t here, and it’s not like your power alone can expel me.”

“Tiki might not be here, but Nowi is!” said Nowi. She plopped herself on Grant’s lap and put her head to his chest. “You want to fight me? Bring it on, Mr. Meany!”

“Little one, don’t overdo it!” Libra said.

“Pathetic human! War is looming! I will feast on the souls of the innocence!” said Grant’s voice.

Grant’s stomach growled loudly.

“Ah, I see the problem. Here, have some bread,” Libra said as he stuffed some into Grant’s mouth. “It’s better for you than souls, anyway.”

“What? No!”

Libra smiled. “Fine, I’ll give you two. Would you like some jam on the second one?”

“Yes please,” said Grant in his normal voice as he chewed on the bread.

“I won!” Nowi said. “Mr. Meany was cheating by giving him nightmares and sick feelings!”

“What a good girl you are,” Libra said.

“Thanks, Nowi,” Grant said.

“Can I stay here?” Nowi asked. “I like laps.”

Grant patted her head. “Of course. I really owe you for taking some of his power out of me.”

“Ran-Ran, don’t push yourself so hard, please? You’ll make Tiki sad,” Nowi murmured as she closed her eyes.

“I agree with her, Grant. This is why you need to express yourself more,” Libra said gently. “It helps me know who I’m speaking to. You and Grima have some very different viewpoints, you know.”

“I know, but like how things are now. The days before we marched here were some of the best my sister and I have had in a long time. I may not be as loved as she is in this group, but I am liked, and honestly, I feel the same about all of them. If they knew about him they’d be scared of me, like everyone else who finds out the truth. I’ve told Chrom, and he seems to understand. Then again, he’s got this dangerously naïve trust of people. Apparently, he went and picked my sister up off of the roadside.”

Libra laughed. “I have heard the tales of how he stops to help those in need.”

“Oh, it’s a regular occurrence for him?” Grant smirked. “And here I just figured he did it because he thought she was cute.”

“Grant, I have decided that shall look after you in place of Lady Tiki as long as you remain with them.”

“But! Teacher!”

“Please don’t protest; I’ve already made up my mind. We have the same goal, after all. It seems the princess is telling the prince as much.” Libra waved and smiled at Lissa as she pointed him out to Chrom.

“You’re right. I’m sorry, I was being selfish; thank you, teacher.”

“Do you have the strength to run? I wish to clear a path to the courtyard for them, but I can’t do it alone. There are far too many guardsmen.”

“I do now.” He picked Nowi up. “She may be small, but she did a good job.” He waved Gregor down to take Nowi from him. Once they were a safe distance away, Grant turned to Libra. “Shall we?”

“Please say the words, Brother Grant.”

“O mighty Naga, please guide us towards a path of happiness for all. Forgive me for the blood I am about to shed in your name.”

“Remember! We strike to wound, not to kill!” Libra said.

Grant smiled to himself. Once, a long time ago, a certain commander in the army always said something like that before a mission.

_“I only have two rules: Come back to me alive, and don’t kill anyone!”_

If they could just make it to Emmeryn in time, perhaps this was the only blood that would need to be shed.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emmeryn makes her choice.

It was not long before word of the Shepherds’ presence reached the castle courtyard. The guardsmen that were left made no attempt to block them from entering.

“Forgive us, milord, but Grant and I must rest now,” Libra panted.

Grant did not respond; in fact, he didn’t even look tired.

“It’s alright, Libra,” Chrom said. “You both did very well. Thank you.”

“We’ll meet you back here when we’re done,” Basilio said as he handed Libra a scrap of paper. “You go ahead and warp there. Someone should already be inside.”

“Thank you, great Khan. May Naga watch over you all,” Libra said as he and Grant vanished.

Lissa held in her gasp of terror at what she saw. Traitor’s Way was just as Viola had mentioned to Chrom in her half-woken state. The bodies of traitors hung in various states of decay. Crudely made signs proclaimed their sins. Suddenly she wished she was back with Maribelle in the barracks. Maribelle had put a Sleep spell on Ricken to make sure he wouldn’t sneak off. When they spoke before the march, Ricken was sleeping comfortably in her arms.

Part of her still wanted that comfort but…

Crows cawed, breaking the silence, and causing her to look up. Emmeryn stood on the top of the long cliff. She looked tired, but not deterred. She still had that innate calm and grace to her, even while facing the possibility of death in front of hundreds of spectators.

Gangrel smirked as soon as he saw that she was looking up at them. Lissa really hated that smirk!

“Now that we have a captive audience… Witch-Queen! You will pay for your crimes in blood! Executioner!”

Viola gave a signal and Flavia threw her axe, killing the executioner. A familiar whinny called from the skies.

“They made it in time!” Viola waved as Cordelia swooped by. “Great job!”

Gangrel’s jaw dropped. “WHAT? She freed my captured knights? That tactician of theirs does not play fair!”

“Well, lucky for you, neither do I,” Aversa said with a soft chuckle. She began to chant something under her breath. At least fifty armed Risen shambled from the magic circle she cast in the middle of the crowd. The archers among them set their bows to the flyers.

“What?” Viola whispered. “How did she? Oh no! FLY UP! GODS ABOVE, FLY UP!”

Before anyone knew what was happening, the sound of dying mounts filled the air. The winged beasts thudded to the ground; their once glorious plumage was a mangled mass of blood, feathers and broken arrowheads. Phila was the last of the knights to fall. She’d been bucked from her Pegasus before the creature ran itself into the nearby cliff.

Gangrel laughed with glee. “Looks like I win, boy! If you want your sister to come home with you alive, give me what I want.”

“I’ll kill you!” Chrom snapped as he started to rush forward, sword drawn. When he tried to move, it was as if his feet were being pulled back by some unseen force. “Viola! Undo the Stun spell on me this instant!”

“I-I won’t! I-if you try to fight him now, you'll only be killed! He _wants_ you to act rashly, Chrom!" Viola cried.

"I can't just-! That's my sister, Viola!"

"I know! I know! Give me time! I'll think of something else, _please_!"

"If he moves, shoot him." Gangrel said.

"Wrong choice!" Viola snapped. A large Whirlwind spell was forming around her.

"Viola?" Chrom asked. “What are you doing?”

Viola did her best to smile, even though her whole body was shaking."I promised you, remember?”

"Oh my, you're going to try to save both of them and also kill me with that spell, aren't you?” Gangrel said with a wide, animalistic grin. “Heh, I _remember_ you now! You’re Mustafa’s little rebellious pacifist! I changed my mind. Shoot _her_ instead. I hate traitors! Heh, you can't keep up two spells forever, girl! Unless… you actually want to break your body? If you want it that badly, it can be arranged by other means. I mean, I _do_ have a frenzied mob ready to use as I see fit.”

Chrom saw many little cuts all over Viola's arm. Even though she had done her best to hold it together, the stray bits of wind magic in the spell could still cut her as they circled. A blade cut her again, deeper this time; she was beginning to noticeably bleed."Viola... Viola! Let me move!"

She shook her head. An arrow skimmed her cheek. She staggered backwards, but still kept her focus on the spells.

"That was for moving!” Gangrel said. “Archers! Ready.... Aim!"

“Stop it….” Chrom whispered.

“Fire!”

The mass of wind magic deflected most of the arrows, but Viola's scream ripped through the uneasy silence. One of the arrows had hit her in the side. She struggled to stay standing.

"I said stop it!" Chrom cried.

“You can end all of this you know. We can always make a trade,” Gangrel said.

“He’s not going to give you the emblem!” Viola snapped with as much strength as she could spare.

“And if _you_ were to take the Exalt’s place, hmm?” Gangrel asked. “I have realized I was extremely stupid in letting you leave our army, memory loss or no.”

Viola paused. “I’m… listening.”

“I have a need of your brain. You would have to be properly punished, of course. I’m sure we could work out something appropriately soul-crushing to make sure you stay in line this time. Well?”

“No! Don’t do this!” Chrom said. He tried desperately to move forward.

Viola kept her back to him as she walked forward. “The right choice is obvious, isn’t it?”

“That’s right, be a good girl and come back to where you belong,” Gangrel said. “And stop that spell! It’s making me nervous.”

“I will, but only if you promise you won’t hurt Emmeryn on her way down!”

“I solemnly swear on my honor as King,” he said.

Emmeryn saw how Gangrel crossed his fingers behind his back. "Enough!" Emmeryn shouted. “Viola, dear! Don’t come any closer!”

Viola instinctively stopped moving forward.

Gangrel glared at Viola. “I ORDER you to come here! If you’re a good dog, I won’t have to beat you.”

Viola flinched.

“Viola, don’t!” Emmeryn shouted. “King Gangrel, whatever quarrel you have with me, fine, but I won’t stand idly by as you bully my family and friends!”

“Pfft, that girl is not your friend!” Gangrel said. “She’s from Plegia! You _hate_ all Plegians!”

“I do not hate anyone, not even you,” Emmeryn said gently. “We are a realm of peace.”

“Liar! You come from your father’s blood-stained stock! If you got the chance, you’d kill me right here, but you can’t cast spells with your hands tied behind your back.”

“You fool. No matter what you do to me, I won’t let you have your war! Revenge will give you nothing! It won’t fill whatever void you have in you! It will only hurt our people. They will be the ones to suffer most.”

“And I am just supposed to forgive and forget our shared bloody history? I don’t do that well.”

“I’m not asking you to do that, either. I made my choice years ago and I still hold to my convictions. You’re standing on the verge of history, Gangrel. Is this truly the path you want blaze for yourself and your people?”

“If that fire consumes your wretched bloodline, I don’t care who else burns! Give me my pawn back, or give me the emblem! Or are you truly that eager to die?”

“I think I shall take a third option; one of my choosing,” Emmeryn said with a smile. She walked to the edge of the cliff.

“What are you doing?” Gangrel asked. For the first time, he sounded truly confused.

“People of Plegia! I Emmeryn, Exalt of Ylisse, am truly sorry for the pain that my people… no- that my father has caused you in the past. You are not the monsters he made you out to be. I hope that you will believe my words, but if you need my actions to speak for me, so be it! Please believe in the power of your own choices!”

With a graceful step, Emmeryn plummeted to the ground below.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

What followed was a mad dash to safety. Frederick was herding everyone in an effort to keep them together, and Lissa was riding beside him casting Rescue on the outliers until her arms were sore, but somehow, they made it to Basilio’s safe house where Grant, Libra, and those who had stayed behind were resting.

Libra looked at all the grim expressions. “Then the worst has happened.”

“I’m afraid so,” Frederick said. “The Exalt is dead. She was not murdered by King Gangrel; she… she chose her own path.”

“I see. I think the gods will forgive her, then.”

“How is he?” Frederick asked, glancing at Grant who was sleeping on the cot Libra was sitting by.

“Not well. His has a high fever. I’m afraid I asked too much of him.”

“I fear we all did.”

“Ran-Ran’s been having trouble all day. His tummy has been really rumbley,” Nowi said.

“If he’s that sick, he should go home to his wife,” Tharja said.

“Grr! Don’t make me eat you!” Nowi growled.

“Bring it, you baby-faced lizard!” Tharja snapped.

“Nope! Nope! Nope!” said Gregor as he picked up Nowi. “Spooky lady will give you much indigestion, trust Gregor on this. Come little one, it is training time, yes?”

“Oh, okay! Tharja! We’ll duel later! I need to play with Gregor first!”

“Very well. Perhaps tomorrow?” she said with a small smile.

“More like the timing of never,” Gregor said.

“Awww!” Nowi cried.

Libra smiled. “Actually, Tharja, Lady Tiki is on her way over here to see him. He’ll feel better when he’s with her, I’m sure of it.”

“Hey, boy! You’re missing two heads,” Basilio called as he reentered.

“What?” Chrom asked. “Who are we missing?”

“Sumia and Viola aren’t here, Chrom,” Lissa said as she followed Basilio in. “I mean, maybe they’re together and they just got a little slowed down!”

It was then that Sumia’s mount appeared in the doorway without her rider on her back. Frederick led the Pegasus inside and gave her some food and water.

“Oh no,” Lissa whispered. “You don’t think…?”

 “I thought Viola could keep up, she usually does, but she was too injured, wasn’t she? Oh gods, do you think she was captured?” Chrom asked Frederick.

“Keep your wits, boy. Viola’s smarter than that. That Sumia girl may be clumsy on her feet, but there’s no way she’d fall off her mount. Any injuries on her?”

“No,” Frederick said as he sat beside Chrom. The Pegasus was lying down on the floor, wings neatly folded at her side. “She looks fine. I don’t think they were attacked.”

“Still, if they were captured, it won’t be pretty,” Tharja said. “Whoever managed to do so will likely whip the skin off their backs, and then present them to the King. If that happens, Gangrel will probably order to do that _very_ special punishment they reserve for a woman who commits Viola’s level of high treason. The King might even choose do it to her himself. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you, Prince? I doubt that klutzy girl will be much better off. I mean, she _might_ get a lesser punishment, but I really doubt it. She’s far too cute, even for an enemy. They’ll want to break her just the same.”

Frederick crushed the towel he was cooling in his fist and handed it to Libra to put over Grant’s forehead.

“Don’t even joke about that Tharja!” Lissa snapped.

“Who said I was joking?” Tharja asked. “I’m being completely serious. That’s just how we do things here.”

It was then that Chrom threw up.

“Easy, milord. Please, lie down,” Frederick said as he put a new cold cloth on Chrom’s forehead. “Tharja, please refrain from such talk right now.”

“No, let me go out…” Chrom said.

“Oh, _hell_ no,” Basilio said. “It’s storming out there.”

“Arrogant Ylissens,” Tharja spat. “Did you honestly think that Plegia as a nation was so weak you could just waltz in and do whatever you wanted? Do you even understand why you've been so fortunate up until now with this little campaign of yours?"

The silence that followed was heavy.

"Because... we found Viola that day," Lissa said with a sniff. “Don’t give me that look, Frederick! You know it’s true!”

Frederick sighed. “I never said it wasn’t, milady.”

Tharja smirked a little." At least the littlest princess has sense. Tell me, do you know what exactly it was that Viola did before she decided to leave Plegia on her fool quest? She wasn't just some pawn solider in our army, she was our head strategist! Newly promoted, but still! Had she not decided to warn you idiots of whatever it was she overheard that night, this war would be going _very_ differently for you and your people. Count your lucky stars you made her current incarnation your friend instead of your enemy.”

Chrom was silent for a moment. “Then she…she knew about his plans for war with us?”

“Perhaps. I know she overheard _something_ drastic that night during one of our King’s legendary drunken rambles, but she never fully discussed it with anyone. Not that I blame her; she would have had been flogged if she was caught talking about it too early. They’d consider that to be spying on our King, and sweet little Viola so hates being flogged.”

“Are you trying to make me feel even worse?” Chrom asked before Frederick pushed him back into lying down.

“You think this is the worst I can do?” Tharja asked. Her shadow was growing massively behind her. A chilling wind whipped at her hair. “I’ve gone easy on you because I know she _likes_ you, but if I find out she’s been broken again because of your stupidity, you _will_ know the extent of the suffering I can cause you!”

Lissa tugged on Tharja’s sleeve. “There’s got to be a tracking hex or something, right?”

Tharja paused. “There is.”

“Can you… can you please try to find them? I’d do it myself, but I don’t have the strength after all the healing spells I’ve done today. I’m exhausted, Tharja! My big sister is dead, and I hate that it had to happen this way, but that doesn’t mean I want Viola and Sumia to suffer! It… It wasn’t Vi’s fault that Emm died!”

“Princess Lissa is right,” Frederick said. “Lady Tharja, please, if you have the power, tell us what’s happened to those two.”

Tharja paused again. “I see. I _suppose_ I can use my most precious thing to help you find them, but only because you asked me nicely. Little princess, you may come with me if you wish to, but only after I have prepared the spell. Viola would be mad at me if I frightened you on purpose.”

“Thank you!” Lissa said as she wiped her eyes.

“Give me a moment to prepare it.”

Lissa sat over by Libra and sighed. “Wow, I can’t believe I just did that!”

“You handled that situation very well Lady Lissa,” Libra remarked with a smile.

“You think so?”

“I do.”

“Thank you…. Lissa,” Grant said weakly. “Tharja…. won’t… curse… you….”

Lissa smiled. “Oh, I’m not worried about that. She was just defending her friend, right?”  When she felt Grant’s forehead, Lissa’s hand warmed very fast. “Poor guy.” When she turned, Tharja beckoned her to enter the small room in the corner.

A few moments later, Lissa came back out with a big smile on her face. “Good news! They’re together and not captured!”

There was a large sigh of relief.

“Did you see what Tharja’s ‘precious thing’ was, by chance?” Frederick asked after Lissa sat back down.

“Yeah, it’s a lock of Vi’s hair.”

Grant laughed softly. “She still… has that?”

“I don’t even want to know,” Frederick said with a sigh. The Pegasus knocked on the door with its hoof to be let out. Once the door was open, it flew off into the night.

“That has to be a good sign, right?” Lissa asked as she watched it fly.

“Let’s hope so.”

“I’m sure Sumia is fine, Frederick,” Lissa said with a smile.

*

Sumia crashed face first into the sand. The last thing she remembered was Emmeryn falling, Chrom running for his sister and then… Vi had enveloped herself in some kind of magic? Sumia didn’t remember when exactly she jumped off her mount in an effort to grab her, but she must have done it. She spat the sand out of her mouth and looked around.  Not a soul. It was just her, a lake, and a single tree. One of her arms was hanging limply at her side. It hurt to move it, but she ignored the rain and pressed forward, heading for the lake.

As Sumia washed her face off in the lake’s waters, she swore she heard crying. It was a soft, gaspy cry she’d heard only a handful of times in the safety of her room.

"Vi?” Sumia called from the base of a tree.  “Are you up there?”

Viola popped her head out of the top of the tree. “Sumia?”

“Thank goodness! That was you! What are you doing in that tree all by yourself?" Viola didn't respond. “I'm going to come up!" Sumia breathed deeply to ignore the pain. "Okay! You can totally do this, Sumia!" She then charged at the tree. "HURK!"

Once she had climbed the tree trunk with the use of her good arm, she inched onto one of the nearby branches. “Whoo! Made it!”

Viola glanced at Sumia for a moment. “….Your arm.”

Sumia tried to smile. “I think I broke it when I fell off my Pegasus trying to grab you before you vanished.”

Viola buried her face in her arms. “I’m so sorry…”

“Oh, it’s okay! I’ll use some of my spare medicine right now! See? It already feels better!”

That did not stop Viola from crying again.

“Oh, Vi… you’re so pale, and are those welts from using Stun for too long?”

Viola looked up at her then. She couldn't stop sobbing. “I don't care if my hands really hurt! I don't care if I'm cold! I don't care about anything anymore! How can I possibly face Chrom or Lissa ever again? I failed them as a tactician! I failed them so badly!"  

Sumia used her good arm to pull her into a hug."We all failed them, Vi!" she cried, not bothering to hide her own tears. "Every single one of us let them down! None of us could do a damn thing to save Lady Emmeryn's life! Please, please don't think you're the only one to blame for what happened!  It'll be okay, I promise it will!"

“I’m sure I’m not w-wanted anymore, but still I... I couldn't bring myself to warp too far away."

“You _warped_? Can you even do that?”

“Uh-huh. I took one of the warp gems off one of my brother’s staves from the convoy. I keep it with me for emergencies.”

"I see. You were going to judge for yourself if you should stay or go from the vantage point of this tree, huh?"

"Yeah, basically. I didn’t think anyone would notice, let alone come after me."

“Of course I noticed! I always keep my eye on you when we’re in battle. Hey, if I ask you really nicely, will you come home with me? I don't want my best friend to disappear from my life!"

Viola leaned into her. “There’s no way someone like me could be that important to you.”

“Yes way, Vi! Meeting you has made me way more confident in myself. And we always have lots of fun together, right? I wouldn’t trade those happy times for anything, and I sure as heck don’t want it to stop now!”

"I don’t either! I really like being with you and, well, with everyone!”

“Then come back with me, you goose. I bet we’ve really worried them.”

“You’re sure they don’t hate me?”

“Positive. If anyone says they do, I’ll punch them with my good arm! I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise, not even the commander.”

“I won’t be whipped for what I did?” she whimpered.

Sumia looked horrified. “Oh gosh, _no_! Did that happen to you before when your plans didn’t work out?” Viola nodded. Sumia hugged her closer. “No wonder you got scared! Chrom doesn’t order punishments like that! I mean, you might be stuck with me on dish washing duty or something, but that’ll be okay! We all love you, honestly, we do.”

“Sumia, I'm really... I'm really glad I met you!” Viola sobbed. “Before I… would have just dealt with this alone."

“Well, now you don’t have to ever again! I’ll be beside you for as long as you want me to be.”

“Forever and ever?”

“Sure! I’d like that.”

“Only, how are we going to get back? I feel terrible. I can’t risk warping again.”

“One second!” She gave a sharp whistle with her fingers.

In the distance, a fluttering of wings could be heard.

“Good girl!” Sumia said to her Pegasus.

“Wow! She could hear you?”

“Yep! We train them to circle if they lose their rider. Huh? Someone brushed the muck off her. That was nice of them. Oh! That means she must not have come from far away! We’re in luck! Hop on, Vi!”

“Can you fly in this rain?” Viola asked. “It’s gotten heavier as we’ve traveled.”

“I’m not going to let it stop me, if that’s what you’re thinking!” Sumia said. She glanced down below them. “Uh-oh! Looks like King Jerk sent troops after us.”

Viola looked too. “Huh? What’s Mustafa doing here?”

“Wait, you know that big general?”

“I do, but, I don't understand; he was always a pacifist, so why is he here?"

 Sumia looked at her. “What should we do, Vi?”

 Viola held tightly to her. “I don’t want anyone on his side to have to die! I should go down there.”

“Got’cha! Intervention, ho! If you’re going to dive like you did in the arena, be careful, it’s raining really hard now.”

“I will. Thank you for everything, Sumia. I love you.”

“I love you too, Vi. Please don’t break your neck!”

“I’ll try not to. Elwind!”

Viola landed with a fair amount of grace. The ground was wetter than she anticipated, so she struggled to land solidly. Once she regained her balance, she did her best to stay strong.

"General Mustafa! Please, stop this advance!" Viola called.

"Little Viola?" The large, dark man said in surprise.

The rain felt heavy on her robes, and the mud that soaked through her boots was cold and grimy, but she stretched her small frame as far as she could. "Please... let them go. You don’t actually want to fight, right?”

The solders behind him began to whisper her name.

 Mustafa sighed. “If I don’t fight, that man will kill my wife and child as an example to others. I will not have them suffer only to have their bodies be displayed so indignantly on Traitor’s Way.”

“I knew it. Do you still live in the same house you did four years ago?”

“Aye. We have not moved since you were enlisted.”

“Then that’s a simple enough fix. Tharja, are you still here?” Viola called.

Tharja materialized before her with a bow. “I am. Don’t worry, it shall be done.” She was then swallowed by her own shadow.

“What mischief is this, Viola?” Mustafa asked.

 Viola smiled. “The king can’t kill them if they’re safe with us, right?”

Mustafa grinned. “It seems you have not forgotten yourself completely. It’s good to see you alive, little one. Many of us had feared the worst for you. If I may be so bold, you are still much too small to make a proper human shield.”

“I still stopped you, right? I’d call that a win.”

“Aye, I suppose you did.” Mustafa paused at the yelling he was hearing on the other side. “What ruckus is happening back there?”

“Pleasedon’tbeChrom.Pleasepleasedon’tbeChrom,” Viola chanted softly.

“Viola!” Chrom called as he pushed his way to the frontlines, despite Frederick’s attempts to hold him back, he broke free and ran for her.

“Oh, hi Chrom,” Viola said.

“Don’t ‘oh, hi Chrom’ me!” Chrom panted. “Where have you _been_? I thought you and Sumia had been captured by these people!”

"I was... um, in a tree.”

 Chrom looked truly baffled. “Huh? Were you stuck in it?”

“I wasn’t stuck! I meant to warp to a spot where I could clear my head for a bit, and I landed in a tree. Sumia was with me because she grabbed me before I could finish.”

“Hi Commander!” Sumia called from above.

 Chrom waved at her. “Oh, I see now. You're not hurt, are you?"

 Viola looked away. "No more so than I already was."

"Good, because we need to have a talk," Chrom said as he picked Viola up and basically tossed her over his shoulder.

“Y-you don’t have to carry me!”

“Yes I do, because I don’t exactly trust you not to vanish the second I take my eyes off you. At least this way, I know you’re physically here. Besides, you look like you can barely stand up. Gaius said he saw you fall out of the sky! You did that risky Elwind stunt again, didn’t you?”

 Viola blushed. “Be that as it may, c-can you at least not hold me like a sack of potatoes? Everyone behind you is smirking at me.”

“Oh. Whoops!” Chrom nestled her in his arm, and moved his cape so that it covered Viola’s head from the rain. “Better?”

“Yes. Thank you. Please don’t be mad at Mustafa, okay? He’s a good man. He was just following orders.”

 Chrom looked ahead. The other army had not moved. Their general was tall and foreboding, but if Viola said so then…. “Your name’s Mustafa, isn’t it? Since you were not actually holding my friend hostage, I no longer have an issue with you. Gather your men and come rest with us.”

 Mustafa laughed. “She’s your friend, is she? I must admit I’m curious as to how my girl ended up so chummy with the enemy prince.”

“His girl?” Chrom asked.

“I served under him before I met you,” Viola muttered.

She’d pressed her face against him. Chrom could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. Either she was very, very embarrassed, or a fever like Grant’s was coming on.

When Tharja returned, she had a lovely dark woman, and a small child with her. They were very confused, and there was much talking in Plegian.

“That’s his family?”

Viola briefly looked out and nodded. “Yes. His wife is named Tima, and his son is Amir.” She heard. Chrom repeat the names to himself. “What do you want to do now, Chrom?” she asked.

Mustafa looked at Chrom. He was probably wondering if the offer for peace was still true.

Chrom took a deep breath. It would be easy to let the fear and anger grip him, but right now, he had to be Emmeryn’s kind of strong. It was now up to him to prove her words were not empty. He held tightly to his missing tactician and turned his back to the enemy army, leading them all to their base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you mean this wasn't an option I could take in chapter 10 of the game?


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Support rank S.

Chrom did his best to have the inside of the strategy room look as non-threatening as possible. Comfortable, he had to make sure Viola felt comfortable in here. While he understood Sully’s idea to have Viola eat, and bathe before they spoke at length, he hated that he had to wait.

He did notice that most of the women in his troop seemed to have formed a circle around her wherever she went. While Sumia was off getting medical attention for her arm, Sully, Miriel, Maribelle, Cordelia, and Panne kept Viola company as she ate and then guarded the bath. Cordelia had been a particularly teary reunion for both of the missing girls. Viola kept apologizing to her like a broken toy for having her witness what had happened to the other Pegasus Knights.

There was a gentle knock at his door. Chrom smiled to himself. Seven, right on schedule. “Come in!”

Viola barely made eye contact with him as she entered. Her glance seemed to be glued to the floor. She sat down on a cushion he’d set out and waited for him to speak to her.

“Do you feel better after a hot bath and a good meal?” Chrom began. He could tell her hair was still wet from the bath. She wore it very loosely with just one of her ribbons. 

Viola nodded. She wrapped herself in a blanket that he placed near the cushion.

“Have you had enough time to think about what you did? I’m going to want honest answers from you.”

She nodded again and hugged the blanket closer to herself. He saw that she had already started to cry.

“Oh! Don’t cry! I’m not going to yell at you! I promise!”

 She looked up at him then. “You’re not?” she sniffled.

“No. It’s just… You really scared me, you know? Why on earth did you think that it was a good idea to run away from camp?” He undid the canteen at his side. “Here, drink."

Viola stared fixedly at the floor again, but took a sip. “I… well… I just… after all that’s happened…” The tears escape from her eyes again. “I mean, it was my decision that got your beloved sister killed! I didn’t think I deserved to be your tactician anymore!"

"Didn't deserve to... _what_? Viola, listen to me, you couldn't have predicted something like that. None of us knew Risen could be summoned! What happened to Emm was not your fault. In the end, she chose her own path. I was the fool. I presented you with an impossible task from the start. You still did your very best for us, thank you."

“You don’t understand! She asked me about what she should do! I told her to try for a third option! I didn’t want her to die! I swear I didn’t! I really liked her!”

“Oh, so she talked to you about this?”

Viola gave the canteen back to him and drew further into the blanket. "She framed it as a riddle, so I answered it. I tried to get her to tell me the truth, but she insisted it was a game.”

“There is nothing wrong with that.”

”E-even so, I still hurt you and Lissa! There's no getting around that!" she covered her face with her hands and the blanket fell to the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I wasn't good enough to save her!"

Chrom pulled her into a hug. "You've always been good enough! I was the one who stupidly kept putting more and more pressure on you to succeed in the way I wanted you to. It's no wonder I ended up pushing you away.” He covered his eyes with his arm. “Gods above, even then, you were willing to try to protect us both from that cruel choice. I mean, you were being shot at and I couldn't do anything but stand and watch! You were prepared to endure whatever painful thing he had in mind and I… I couldn’t protect either of you!"

“No, no! Emmeryn’s life was far more valuable than mine! Please don’t feel guilty about prioritizing her! I’ve always liked feeling useful to you, honest! I’d gladly give my life to protect yours!”

"You’re wrong! Your life is just as valuable to me! You’re not just a tool to be used! Don’t you dare think that I ever want you to die for me! I want to have a long life with you, damn it!"

Viola paused. “What?”  

Chrom blushed deeply." Ah! Well, about that! Um, okay. Deep breathe, in... and out....”

“Chrom, are you okay?”

“Let me finish! If I don’t get the words out now, I might lose you again! I don’t want that! Viola, I’ve realized that you're my... most precious person! I-I love you! I love you as strongly as a man can love a woman! When this war is over, I want to marry you! There! I actually... said it.”

“ _Huh?_ ”

“O-of course, if you don't feel the same, then we can still be friends, I promise!"

She leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

Chrom froze for a moment. “Wait, you said you don’t do kisses below the nose…”

Her gazed shifted downward again, but she was turning as red as he was. "Um, well, for you… I uh, feel differently about that. You see, I… I wanted to tell you about my feelings for you sooner than this, but given all that’s happened, it didn’t seem... right to…” At Chrom’s continued silence, she panicked further. “D-did I do that wrong? I don't think I've ever actually... kissed anyone on the lips... before... oh gods! Why did I do that? You’re a royal! Forget that ever happened!”

He hugged her close again, despite her squirming. “I don’t want to! You did just fine, honest! Can I have another one, please?”

“Huh? Oh!” She kissed him again, more assuredly this time. “W-was that one better?”

 Chrom smiled and kissed her back. “Yes, thank you. Is it okay to hold you like this?”

“Yes.”

 He sighed warmly. “I wish you could just stay with me from now on, but Frederick would have an entire barnyard if he caught us in the same room after curfew, but I don’t want to let you go ever again."

“Heh, when I’m like this, you’re just like a big shield.”

“A shield huh? Why not a sword?”

“I think a shield fits you better. You defend and protect those who need it. When I’m with you, I always feel really safe.”

Chrom gently rubbed her head. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I promise won’t ever hurt you, even if I get mad at you. We’ll talk through it. I don’t want you to ever be afraid of me.”

Viola looked up at him then. “But that doesn’t change the current situation. I still… did a bad thing… Please punish me however you see fit! I'll accept it no matter what!”

Chrom paused. "However I see fit, huh?” He adjusted her on his lap so that she sat up. “Okay, I've decided your punishment, are you ready for it?"

 Viola braced herself."Y-yes!"

"Okay." He began to tickle her.

"Wait, ahaha! _This_ was your idea of a punishment?"

"You _said_ you'd accept whatever I saw fit."

"Ahahaha! Stop! Stop! I can't take anymore!"

Chrom stopped. "Do you feel better now that you’ve been punished?”

“A little bit, but!”  

 He hugged her again. “But nothing. So your plan didn't go as expected. That's okay, Viola. I still love you; please don't scare me like that ever again. The next time something is bothering you that much, you’ll come and tell me, right? I promise I’ll listen to whatever it is, even if it’s something little.”

Viola wiped her eyes on her sleeve.  “Okay, I will.”

 “I’m sorry to ask something like this of you so soon, but I really want to end this conflict before it escalates any further, and I need your help to pull it off. I don’t want to kill needlessly."

"You really trust me with something like that?" she asked softly. "Even after..."

"There isn't anyone else I _would_ trust with this task. If anyone can pull it off, it's you. I truly believe that together, we can make the peaceful world that my sister wished for. Will you please help me do that?"

 Viola smiled softly."Thank you, my love. Don’t worry; I’ll come up with something. For now, I’m going to have Tharja curse Gangrel into celebrating too much to buy us a few more days to plan."

“There’s a curse for that? Will he fall for it?”

Viola grinned at him. “Oh, _easily_. He did it regularly when I served under him, especially after doing something he considered to be a victory. That man loves his food and wine.”

Chrom ginned back at her. “That’s my Vi!” He suddenly turned very red."I uh, always thought your nickname was cute, but never had the courage to try it before now.”

Viola blushed and hid her face in her hands." This is why I couldn’t help but fall for you, even though I tried really hard not to! Half the things you say to me make me feel all warm and fuzzy!”

Chrom laughed. “You tried _not_ to?”

“Well, you’re popular with girls, you know? Besides, you’re not just a noble, you’re a royal! Granted, I forget that half the time because you don’t act like any royal I’ve ever known of, but still! There’s a _huge_ class difference between us. I mean, you could have anyone you want and you pick me?”

“Of course I’d pick you! I’ve adored you ever since we first met! Being around you is always calming for me. I can laugh with you, and joke with you, and you’re so smart! Before we met, I always hated trying to plan ahead, but it comes so naturally to you. And I really admire how kind you are, even in battle.”

“I actually learned a lot of that from Mustafa. Out of all the generals I served under, his was the approach that spoke to me personally. I stayed with him the longest.”

 “Will you come with me when I talk to him? I was going to meet with him tomorrow.”

“Of course I will! I don’t know how much help I’ll be because of my memory loss, but I’ll do my best!”

“That’s all I ask of you.”

“Now the question is will my feet touch the ground ever again, or are you just going to carry me around forever?”

“Hey, I _saw_ you use up a lot of magic back there, and I’m sure your body is mad at you for it. Besides, I’m going to use it as an excuse to keep you as close to me as I can get away with, and if you’re with me, you won’t disappear again, right?”

She kissed his forehead. “I won’t. I’m sorry I scared you when I ran away.”

He kissed her on the nose. “I’m sorry I scared you into running away. It’s strange to feel so happy right now. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t be, but Emm wouldn’t want me to live the rest of my life that way. And before you even go there, I know she’d feel the same way about you, Vi. She liked you.”

She leaned against him. “I know you’re right. Ugh, I _really_ don’t want to face everyone, but I know I need to apologize properly. Sully made it very clear to me I worried way more people than I thought when I warped.”

"We all love you, Vi," Chrom said gently before clearing his throat. "But, to be clear, I love you the most.”

 “If you say that around some of Mustafa’s men, you might get challenged to a few duels.”

Chrom puffed out his chest. “So? I’ve got the power of love on my side! I bet I could take on a whole troop if they challenged me!”

Viola laughed. “Don’t even think about it, mister! She glanced at the clock. “Oh, gosh, it’s almost curfew! Must. Avoid. Frederick!”

“Is it? Huh. He’s usually back from patrolling by now. Oh right, he probably got distracted tending to Sumia. Not that I’m complaining.”

“Speaking of, if you need me before morning, I’ll be with her and Tharja. Apparently, I’m not allowed to sleep alone for awhile. Um, can I maybe have one more kiss before I go?”

“I’ll do better and make it two.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweet dreams.

“Thanks for agreeing to stay with me, Tharja,” Sumia said as she settled into her sleeping bag.

"I don’t mind. It’s not like I dislike you, but don't I... scare you?" Tharja asked.

Sumia shook her head. "Not really! I mean sure, you are bit on the spooky side, but I can tell that Vi really loves you, so you can't be a bad person. I mean, look! She remembers you enough to cuddle right up to you and fall asleep. That’s something!"

"Well, I did help things by pulling the nightmares out. She'll sleep easier, _and_ I can have a potent source for curses to use in the next battle." Tharja laughed. "You're not so bad yourself, sunshine. I mean, you did break her out of her self-doubt, and for as much as she's cuddling me, technically we're sharing her. I have a feeling she'll turn over and seek you out soon."

Sumia smiled warmly. Viola was curled up between the two of them. For once, she seemed to be dreaming about something really nice.

“So is there really a thing called a gluttony curse?” Sumia asked.

Tharja smiled deviously. “Oh yes. I started work on casting it as soon as she told me about ways to buy her time. There are all sorts of fun and creative curses, but she prefers to go the non-lethal route. Which, I’ll admit, is more of a challenge for me personally, but her kindness is one of the things I love about her.”

"Um, Tharja, if you don't want to be my friend I won't force you, but will you help me protect Vi?" Sumia whispered.

Tharja paused."I suppose it does make more sense if we both look after her. With two of us, we can stop her from going too far into her own darkness. Alright, sunshine. I can agree to that."

“Also, please don’t pick on the commander!”

“That, however, I will _not_ promise. He’s stolen her heart and won’t give it back.”

“Oh well, at least I tried.”

“Is everything alright, sunshine? You were in with that knight a very long time.”

“Thanks in part to you, you know! Your little speech about what could have happened to us gave Frederick a huge anxiety attack!” Sumia’s expression softened, “but I guess… I owe you for some of the other things he said to me. I don’t even mind that he grounded me, and took my armor in for repair.”

“You let him _ground_ you?”

 Sumia blushed. “Well, he does outrank me...”

“You lot are the strangest band ever.” Tharja hugged Viola close. “I suppose I see the charm now.”

“Cordelia! Come inside already!” Sumia called. “We’re going to blow out the lamps soon!”

*

Cordelia heard Sumia call her.

“If you need somebody to guard the tent while you sleep, I can do it,” a voice said. “You’ve been at this for awhile now, right?”

"Oh, Kellam, I… didn't see you there," Cordelia said with a small laugh.

"No surprise. Is Viola okay?"

"Yeah. She's doing much better now. I think talking things through with the commander helped a lot. She's being a lot more open about what she's been feeling through this whole mess,” Cordelia looked to the side. “I _knew_ she wasn't fine the other day, but I wasn't sure how to say it. I wanted to tell her I was okay, but I couldn’t, and then she ran. We are very alike in a lot a ways. True it hurt… to witness something like that again, but having Viola disappear hurt as well.”

“I’ve been with the Shepherds for a while now. While we weren’t exactly directionless before Chrom brought Viola back with him, the dynamic has changed. We’re a lot more unified now because of how she directs us.”

“Like a family,” she said.

At an unknown sound, Kellam and Cordelia readied for battle.

“Sorry! Did I interrupt something?” Lissa said. “I tripped on a branch back there.”

“Here darling, hold still,” Maribelle said as she healed her leg.

“Princess Lissa? Why are you here?” Kellam asked.

 Lissa looked shy for a moment. “Is it okay to for Maribelle and I stay with everyone tonight? I have some things I want to say to Viola. They're nice things, I promise!”

“I know,” Cordelia said gently.  “Hey, Sumia! We have more guests!”

“Come on in! The more the merrier!”

“Am I late?” Miriel asked. “I suppose I studied how to lessen the effects of trauma for far too long.”

“Miriel? You, too?” Codrelia asked.

Is there enough room for another?” Miriel asked as she opened the tent flap.

“We’re working on it!” Sumia called.

Cordelia saw Nowi running towards the men’s tents.

“Hold it little one; are you going to visit Grant again?” Cordelia asked.

 Nowi nodded. “Uh-huh! Tiki just landed, so I’m going to say hi and keep her and Ran-Ran company!”

“That sounds nice,” Cordelia said with a smile. “Be sure to come and get us if you need help.”

“I will!” Nowi said as she darted off again.

 Cordelia paused. Wait, _landed_?

*

“Lady Tiki!” Nowi called as she entered Grant’s quarters.

“Hello Nowi,” The manakete woman said gently. She was sitting beside Grant’s bed.

“Am I dreaming?” Grant murmured as he opened his eyes. He reached his hand up to touch the woman’s face.

“No dear,” Tiki said as she brought it to her cheek. “I flew over here once I heard what was going on from little Nowi. Besides, I’ve missed you. You’ve been gone for a few months now.”

“I’ve missed you, too.” Grant blushed. “Are you, um, mad at me?”

“Silly boy.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I know you’ve done your best to be careful. Still, I hate it when you hurt yourself. It makes me sad.”

“I didn’t really have a choice.”

She held him up in her arms so that he sat up. “By the way, I ran into your mother and Wu’kan as I flew over. Apparently, Basilio invited them. They should be here by morning.”

“I forgot Basilio and dad knew each other. Oh, I know why they came.” Grant smiled. “This should be an interesting reunion. Tiki, darling. can you stay  for a day or two?”

“I can, so long as I am cautious.”

Grant glanced over at Nowi.“Hey, Nowi? Thank you.”

“You’re not mad that I tattled?” Nowi asked as she crawled on top of the bed like a child might.

 He patted her head. “No. With both of you here, I already feel more like myself than I have since we entered Plegia.”

 Nowi grinned. “Good. There’s no way he can take on both of us!”

“That’s right. If he feels bold enough to show himself while you sleep, we’ll handle him,” Tiki said as she leaned over and ran her fingers through Grant’s hair.

“Thank you.” Grant sighed and slid back down so that his head was on the pillow. “You both are so warm.”

“Aww, he’s asleep already?” Nowi said. “I guess he has been really worn out.”

Tiki smiled. “I just can’t stay mad at this precious sleepy face. Nowi dear, will you fill me in with more details now about what exactly is going on with this campaign?”

 Nowi sat on top of the bed. “Sure thing! Oh! You should meet Chrom and Lissa, too while you’re here! They’re really nice!”

“I do hope I don’t give Mar-Mar’s descendants a heart attack. It’s been ages since I’ve checked up on his family.”

“Now where was I again?” Nowi asked. “Oh right! See, I was escaping and….”


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the parents.

Chrom awoke the next morning and joined Frederick in his walk around inspection of camp.

“Mornin’ Chrom,” Sully said. She was washing her face in a nearby lake. “If you’re looking for Princess Lissa, she’s in there with the others at Sumia’s ‘Make Viola Feel Safe,’ sleepover thing.”

“Is anybody else in there awake?” Chrom asked.

“How should I know?” Sully said with a shrug. “I didn’t stay long. I’m not one for all that touchy feely goop. Even if it’s someone I like, like Viola, crying girls always make me uncomfortable. But I did stick around for the hot drinks, and I told some funny Shepherd stories to help cheer her up. Then I did a few patrols with Panne before I nodded off in my own tent.”  

“What kinds of stories?” Chrom asked.

Sully grinned. “Stories about you, duh. They always brought a smile to her face, so Sumia, Lissa, Cordelia, and I told her all sorts of fun stuff from when you were a brat. Even Maribelle had a few good ones. Viola did pull Lissa aside for a second, and then after that, Lissa became really giddy for some reason.”

Chrom blushed.

“Oh? Something good happened if you’re blushing like that.”

 Chrom looked away from her. “I’m not sure if the morning will change anything.”

“It’d better change _something_ ,” Sully said. She gently punched his shoulder. “Tharja bought us some time, but if you two haven’t made nice yet, you should really do that. Don't let her get away from you again.”

He touched his lips and smiled. Even if the kisses between him and Viola were only a dream, he was glad she was back with them. “You’re right.” 

“Oh, she’s up,” Sully remarked. She waved Viola down. “How’re you doing?”

Viola smiled with slight force. “I feel much better, but I still have some pent up frustration to get out of my system. I figured some good mix of magic and sparring exercises would help me feel less weak.”

“Need a partner?” Sully asked with interest.

“Oh! Would you mind?”

“Hell no. This I can totally do,” Sully said with a grin. “Is a lance okay? I figure if I used my axe or sword, it’d be a bit much. I don’t want to maim you.”

"I'll just sit here and watch," Chrom remarked.

 “I will act as referee,” Frederick said with a nod. “Sully, your lance please.”

“Aww, but it’s no fun if it’s not pointy! Frederick, you spoilsport!”

“Safety first,” Frederick said with a smile. “You may begin at any time.”

 Sully swung her lance and prepared her stance. “Alright! I’ve always wanted to test might over magic. You start, Viola!”

“Okay!” Viola said. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath and then threw a punch.

Sully laughed and dodged the blade of wind that followed. “The hell? You punched out a Wind spell? That’s awesome!”

“Thanks! I developed this routine with my Dad. He said if I didn’t find a way to exercise regularly, I’d get lazy. I’ve seen far too many mages just rely on their magic.”

“Hah! Is that why some mages can get a little… hefty?”

“Yep. Especially the noble ones. Next!”

She released a small cluster of fire spells from her fingers and rolled back as they gathered and formed an Elfire spell.

"Damn, girl," Sully said with a smirk. "Now you're messing with my eyes? You fight dirty when you want to."

"Well, I'd hate to bore you," Viola said as she returned the smirk.

"I like it," Sully said.

“Fire spells are not allowed, Viola!” Frederick said.

"Ah, ignore it Frederick," Sully said. "Real fights don't follow noble rules, and you know it!" Sully sliced the fireball in half. The sparks fizzled out before they hit the grass.

“That was so cool, Sully!" Viola said as she clapped her hands together. "You must be close to Dad’s level of strength if you can pull off a move like that!”

“That’s not hurting you, right? Using the Fire spell, I mean.”

“It’s not, I promise!" Viola showed her hands. "I remembered my gloves, see? This is just to help me sweat a bit.”

“Yeah, I hear you. Your spells are keeping me on my toes in a way that swords don’t. I actually have to think with you.”

 Viola smiled. “I haven’t managed to hit you yet, so you’re winning!”

“Am I now? Ha! Don’t look now, but we have an audience."

Viola glanced around a mix of their camp and Mustafa's men had joined Chrom on the grass around them.  She began to visibly shake. "O-oh, um!"

"Want to call it here?” Sully asked knowingly.

“Sure. You won!”

“I’m going to want a rematch when you feel a little better,” Sully said as she grabbed her horse. “That was fun.”

Viola watched Sully leave and then sat down on the grass and waited for the rest of the crowd to disperse. Chrom came over and sat beside her. Once everyone had left, he spoke again, “so… can we talk about where we go from here?”

“In love or in war?” she asked.

“Love first, if you don’t mind.”

“Can I hear your thoughts?”

Chrom smiled and pulled her into his arm. He rested his head on top of her hair. “Is this comfortable for you?”

“Yes.”

“You know, part of me thinks I dreamed last night up. So I’m glad I can hold you like this.”

 Viola curled closer to him. “Um, how do you want to proceed? Do you want to move forward as a couple or…?”

“My feelings for you haven’t changed overnight, silly. If you’re alright with it, I’d like to announce that we’re a couple. I still want to marry you after this ends, you know.”

 Viola puffed up her cheeks. “Oh, we’re going to win this! And we’re going to win it in a _nice_ way that’ll make that bloodthirsty tyrant cringe! I’m still trying to figure out the details of how we’re going to pull it off, but!  I’m motivated again!" She blushed. "N-not just because of your proposal! I saw Emmeryn in my dreams last night.”

“You did?” Chrom asked in surprise.

“Yes. She didn’t look scary or anything, so I don’t think she’s vengeful. You’re right, she wouldn’t want me to be held back because of what she chose to do, but I am going to respect her, always, so I will continue to feed the gentle fire she started.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. You’re sounding more like yourself.”

“Myself, huh?" She looked up at him. "I wonder, would you have fallen in love with the person I was before?”

Chrom laughed. “Oh, yeah, probably. I get the feeling you weren’t as drastically different a person as you’re imagining. You’ve just adapted to this new environment, that’s all.”

“But, yes, if you’ll have me, of course I’ll marry you. Truthfully, I don’t want to be with anyone else, but I didn't think I had a chance. It will be hard, I’m sure, but I really believe in us. I mean, we’ve accomplished a lot together already, don’t you think?”

“There’s no way I would have made it this far in this campaign without your mind, or your optimism. It’s strange to think I’m going to rule in Emm’s place when I go back to the capitol, but if you’re at my side, I know I can do what needs to be done.”

 “You won’t rule alone. We’ll play to our strengths and divide accordingly. I’m already planning on utilizing Maribelle and Ricken outside of this war.”

“Really? How so?”

“Maribelle knows all about the dos and don’ts of upper class. I’m going to ask her to teach me things so I don’t make a _complete_ idiot of myself when faced with other nobles. And Ricken’s been very meticulous about keeping battle records and inventory. That’d be very useful around a castle setting. I’m sure he’d help me if I asked him. He’d probably like the excuse to be useful to you by proxy.”

Chrom nodded. “I’ll think of things I can have him do to help that won’t endanger his life. He’s a good kid.”

“Please do. He admires you a lot, so that will make him happy. Let’s see, I’d also like for Miriel to continue to tutor me,” Viola paused. “Come to think of it I don’t think either Grant or I had a proper education growing up. Ugh, they’ll have a field day with that! I can hear the bards now, ‘Uneducated Witch-Queen Bewitches Heart of Beloved Prince.’ I’ll sing it for a penny!”

“It’ll be okay, sweetheart, we’ll manage.” Chrom paused and then blushed. “Did I just say that out loud?”

“Yes you did, and it made me very happy, my prince,” Viola said.

“Are you blushing? You feel like your blushing. Please don’t look up.”

“I am so red right now it isn’t even funny. Please don’t look down. Gods, but we are a match, aren’t we?” Viola squirmed out of his arms and stood up. “I should probably check on Grant. I’m worried about him not recovering yet. Come and get me when you want to meet with Mustafa, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Um, can I kiss you before I go?”

“Please do.”

She leaned over him and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Okay, I should go. Actually, one more? That one felt inadequate.”

“Oh shush, that one had a nice feel to it. Can I ask for more?”

“Fine, I'll give you three," Viola said with a smile, "then I _really_ have to go."

"Aww," Chrom said as he took her hand. "No, don't go."

"You are the _worst_ distraction."

“Oh, Viola, here you are,” Basilio said as he approached her. "If you’re looking for Grant, he and his wife are with me. You have visitors.”

“Visitors, for me?” Viola asked.

*

Chrom observed the people in Basilo’s quarters from the outside of the tent. The woman in the room had a very familiar, if aged face. Her long black hair was done up in a braided style he’d seen Viola wear once before. The man was large, with brown hair. He wore two impressive looking swords at his side.  Viola was beaming.

“Mom! Dad!” Viola said as she ran to hug them.

"Chrom, this is Valoria and her husband, Wu'kan," Basilio said. "Wu'kan and I have worked together in the past. This woman here is Grant's wife, Tiki."

"A pleasure to finally meet you both," Tiki said with a smile.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere," Chrom said as he shook her hand.

"That's the problem with being named Tiki, everyone assumes I'm _that one_."

"Big Brother, I will no longer tease you about having an imaginary wife," Viola declared. "Your real one is lovely."

"Thank you," Grant said with a laugh. "I'm still not sure how I did it, honestly."

Tiki smiled again. "You were just your sweet self, that's all."

“You two must be their parents," Chrom said as he approached the other man and woman. "Oh, you're so young-looking!"

“Milord, please,” Frederick muttered.

Valoria smiled gently and held a laugh back. “I did have Grant rather early into my adulthood. Gosh, that was nearly two decades ago now. How time flies. Wu’kan and I had been meaning to meet with our children since Grant wrote that he’d reunited with Viola, but then you marched again and I did not feel comfortable setting foot in Plegia proper. Thank you for looking after my children, Prince Chrom.”

 Chrom smiled. “They’ve been a great boon to us. We’re happy to have them in our company.”

“Why wouldn’t you enter Plegia, milady?” Frederick asked.

“I couldn’t risk that the biological father of my children might still be there to try and force me back into my old life. I’m a very different woman now then the one I was when I first had Grant.”

“What kind of person was he? If you don't mind me asking, I mean,” Chrom asked, noticing Frederick was glaring at him again.

"Please, Mom," Viola said. "I want to know, too."

"Oh, alright," Valoria said as she sat down on the rug. Everyone began to join her. "To begin..."

“He was an ass,” Wu’kan muttered as he sat.

Grant laughed. "He's not wrong from what I'm able to remember. Very tall and very... strict, I think?"

 Valoria shot them both a look. “He was a _charismatic_ man. He thought he had the power to change the world, and being who I was at the time, I wanted the world to change. I didn’t know then that he wanted to use our child to do it.”

“Ah... the tattoo," Viola murmured.

Grant looked noticeably uncomfortable then.

"It’s not unusual for the cult of Grima to sacrifice children to their god, sweetie," Valoria said. "I didn't want that to be my child's fate. I _might_ have stabbed him with a Stun-laced knife in a fit of anger on the night I ran, but I really can’t remember. Back then, I didn’t know I was pregnant with you, but I kept running with my baby at my chest. I ran all the way to Valm. I only stopped when you insisted that you needed to be born. I found a semi-cozy roadside and went into labor. I was so preoccupied that I didn't even notice Grant had toddled off.”

Chrom tried to hide his amusement at Grant and Viola’s horrified faces.

“Do you remember that day, dear?” Valoria asked as she leaned into Wu’kan.

 He returned the gesture. “How could I forget it? I thought I was merely helping a scared child. I wasn’t expecting his mother to be a foreign woman in labor who could barely speak a word to me.”

“It was sweet that you stayed by my side even after Viola was born.”

“I couldn’t just leave you. You started walking again right after giving birth!”

“Why am I not surprised by this?” Grant asked with a sigh.

“And you’ve followed me for seventeen years to the day.”

“Seventeen?” Chrom asked. “When did she have her birthday? When we first met, Viola said she was sixteen.”

“Well, today is Viola’s birthday,” Valoria said.

"No way," Viola scoffed.

Chrom grinned. “It _is_?”

“It is,” Valoria said with a nod.

 “Why do you look like you want to throw me a party?” Viola asked as she eyed Chrom’s grin.

“Because I do!”

“Frederick, we don’t have the resources for that sort of thing, right?” Viola asked quickly.

“True it can’t be anything lavish, but we’ll make do with the resources we have available,” Frederick said with a smile.

“Come on, Vi," Grant said. "It’s okay to have them throw you a little party. It’ll be like the ones we had at home, but bigger because you have more friends now, right?”

“But, what if nobody….” Viola began.

Chrom patted Viola's head. “I was planning on addressing the dragon in the room tonight. It means I’ll have to do some public speaking, which I hate, but it needs to be said.”

“Prince Chrom, are you using that as the expression or wishing to speak to me?” Tiki asked.

“Oh, um, the expression. Wait, Grant, you married a dragon?”

Grant braced himself for the slew of remarks that usually followed.

Chrom only smiled. “How nice! No wonder Nowi likes you so much! Oh, I see the ears now!  Well, I’m going to go talk to Sumia now, and do something that has absolutely _nothing_ to do with planning a birthday party.” Chrom then left the room with Frederick following behind him.

"Fear not, Viola. I will keep milord in check," Frederick said.

Viola sighed warmly. "Thanks, Frederick. I guess I should stay out of the way for a while." She got up off the floor.

"Viola, sweetie, what's wrong?" her mother asked as she gently grabbed her arm. "You look upset."

 Viola let her tears fall. "I just... remembered something that makes me really sad, that's all."

Grant got up and smiled warmly at her. "Is it about me?" he asked.

She nodded.

"And Grima's tattoo?" he continued.

Another nod. She put her arms around him.

Grant rubbed her head. "I'm sorry. I was hoping you wouldn't remember that, but what's done is done and I don't regret it."

"But why?" Viola asked.

"Because I didn't want you to be used as a tool for the rest of your life. That's what they do to those of us who have potential.  You don't remember this, but Mom always forbade you from using your magic in public for the same reason. The recruiters love natural-born mages."

 Viola nodded. "That's right, not only did I burden you with the tattoo, but it's my fault we got recruited in the first place. If I hadn't used that Wind spell..."

"Children would have died," Valoria finished. "Something went wrong with the new Pegasus riders, and they were being bucked midair. If you hadn't acted, those who fell would have died when they hit the ground. One of the riders did her duty, and reported you to the commanding officer. When you refused their initial offer, they retaliated. It was all very by the book. If we tried to run then, we would have been killed. And I was not about to ask your father to murder a whole squad."

"I would have done it," Wu'kan said.

"I know you would have, dear."

“Come, daughter,” Wu’kan said as he took her hand and pulled her up. “It appears you lost one of your ribbons. I will take you shopping for new ones as a present.”

“Oh, thanks Dad.” Viola paused. "Wait, Mom, are you pregnant? You seem awfully round."

"That can't be right. You both agreed that a baby would be too difficult to raise if you kept traveling, right, Mom?" Grant said.

Valoria smiled. "Well, that's the thing. We've mostly settled down here in Ferox. We've both found more stable jobs thanks to Basilio, and unlike the other places where we attempted to live in the past, this region is rarely invaded by outsiders. Besides, my nest was empty, and you know what they say about couples and the cold weather. Oh right! Viola, sweetie, when you get back from shopping with your father, we need to have a talk. I want to make sure you remember that lesson I taught you before you entered the army."

"I think I remember," Viola thought for a moment. "Was it the one about me having control of my own body?"

"That's my girl! That's the one!"

"Give me a refresher anyway, please!" Viola pulled the hood of her robe up and took her father's hand.

"Do you think they'll be okay at the markets?" Grant asked as he watched them leave.

"Between your father's strength and Viola's wits, I'm not worried. I'm more curious about what that prince has in mind for Viola's party. He's not one for subtly, is he?"

Grant laughed. "That's not his strongest point, no. He often shows his heart as openly as he shows his brand, but he's a good man."

"Grant, sweetie, will you ask Tharja to help me with a spell I want to do for Viola?"

"Aren't you her beloved teacher? I'm sure she'll do it for you if you asked her."

Valoria grinned. "Oh, but where's the fun in that?"

"Fine. Tell me though, how far along are you, anyway?"

"Oh, about six months."

Grant sighed. " _Mom_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Computer problems are the best! Sorry about the unexpected hiatus!


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clearing the air and regaining resolve.

The Feroxi markets were held indoors below the massive fortress. It was strange when compared to the open air stalls common in both Plegia and Ylisse. It was warm and lively. This must have been where those who could not fight resided.

“Let’s see, how much should I spend today?” Viola said as she pulled out her coin purse. “Who needs what? I should have asked Cordelia for a supply list before we left.”

 “Ah, so he put you in charge of the army funds?” Wu’kan asked. “Good choice.”

Viola nodded. “Technically, I share the responsibility with Frederick. I guess he does things like that on Chrom’s behalf. It looks bad to the court when a foreign woman handles another kingdom’s money, you know?”

Wu’kan’s eyes narrowed. “According to who?”

“Maribelle and Virion said so. They’re nobles.”

“Bah, why do you care what they think?”

“I care because I like them, Dad. Besides, Frederick is a good knight with trustworthy face. Thankfully, we have almost identical views when it comes to money, so it’s not often we disagree over what to do with it. Ooh! Heal staves! I think Lissa’s out of Rescues, too.” She waved down the vendor. “I’ll take three of each!”

“Is something on your mind, love? You seem… like you are forcing something.”

 Viola sighed. She strapped the quiver of purchased staves to her back. “I hate to ask you something like this, but does the uneasy feeling of seeing someone you care about die ever go away? I mean, I probably dealt with this before, but I don’t it remember anymore.”

Wu’kan paused for a moment. He put his hand to the sword at his side. “No. It does not. Even when that person was no better than scum. You must have the strength to carry the weight of that life with you, always. It helps if you have a person beside you who understands. That was one of the reasons I was so drawn to your mother. She understood the world I was in. I could speak to her about the blood and death of it, and all the while she never judged me for the path I had chosen.”

“I see. Did Mom tell you about the sperm-donor eventually?”

Wu’kan muffled a laugh. “Yes. She told me when she was ready. I think it took about a year for me to hear the full account. She would mention snippets now and again as we traveled, mostly to other women. Being a dancer from a different region, she made for a very good entertainer to the courts while I did my work. We both made money on the same job. It was a good arrangement.”

Viola smiled. “Then you fell in love with her, right?”

Wu’kan blushed a little. “Yes. Our cover story turned into our reality when you were around three.”

“I don’t know if I said this before I lost my memory, but thank you for making Mom so happy. I don’t care who that man was. You’re the only Dad to me.”

“And likewise, I have always viewed you as my daughter. Now, would you like a set of ribbons like this one? I always thought you looked best in the more vibrant colors.”

“Dad, look at the price. These are all silk.”

“They are also a birthday present. Do you want them or don’t you?”

Viola sighed. “Ireallyreallydo.”

 Wu’kan placed the coins on the stall before she could protest. “Done.”

“…Can I maybe?”

“Of course. Which color do you want to wear?”

“You pick.”

“Blue is a good color on you.”

“Okay!”

“Ah, yes, very nice. Tell me, would you be offended if I challenged your commander to test his strength?”

“Actually, could you? I think you two would be a good sparring pair. It might help him regain his confidence if he could go all out against someone. Don’t you dare go easy on him because I like him, okay?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. If he beats me, it will be by his own merits. What would happen if he loses?”

“Honestly? He’d probably laugh. He’s surprising like that.” Viola sighed. “Yeah, I think I can face the others now.”

“Face them how?”

“We all need to clear the air. We’ve been really fortunate all things considered, but losing Emmeryn was a huge blow. I’ve been doing my best to believe what the others girls have said, but it’s hard, you know?”

“Ah, I see, you’re blaming yourself still. You did the same thing whenever something bad happened to Grant, Tharja, or Henry.”

Viola flinched. “Old habit, huh?”

“As old as you. Daughter, if they say they forgive you, believe in them. Learn and grow, every commander makes mistakes like this, every one of them carries the lives of those they lost. Even someone as conscious as Mustafa has lost good and worthy soldiers with all the potential in the world. You are not alone in your loss.”

Viola hugged him. “You’re right. Thank you Dad. I needed to hear that.”

Wu’kan hugged her back. “Are you ready to return now?”

Viola nodded.

When they came back, Grant was waiting for them. Wu’kan paused. “Where is your mother?”

“She’s working with Tharja on a present for Vi. Oh yeah, Frederick has been handing these out. Apparently we’re having a meeting tonight. You going to be okay, Sis?”

“Honestly, probably not. I’d bet good money I’m going to end up crying, and I’m going to hate myself for it, but I need to be there for him. Do you know where Chrom is?”

“He’s with Lissa and Frederick in the room before the big hall. We’re supposed to assemble in there.”

“Thanks Grant,” Viola said as she headed that way.

She hesitated before knocking on the door to the room. She paced around a few times before she actually did it.

“Who is it?” Chrom’s voice asked.

“It’s me,” she said.

Chrom smiled at her as he opened the door. “Oh good, you’re back. Oh! Those ribbons look really nice on you!”

“Thanks.”

 Chrom shut the door after she entered. “So are you ready to address everyone?”

“Not at all,” Viola said as she jumped up and sat on the edge of the bed.

 Chrom sat beside her. “Good, because I’m not either, but I do feel better knowing that you and I will flail together.”

“D-do you think they’ll throw things at me?”

“I’m not going to let that happen, Vi. You’re going to stand next to me so that if you need to hide behind me, you can. If things get bad, I’ll protect you. Honestly, I’m probably the target of the potential projectiles.”

 Viola hugged his middle. “I’ll protect you with my magic, I promise!”

“Thank you, sweetheart. Do you mind staying like this with me for a little while? I feel calmer with you here.”

“I’m not going to let go of you until you tell me to.”

 Chrom grinned. “Not even if Frederick tells you to move?”

 Viola made a face. “Frederick can just try to move me. This is my spot now!”

“Hehe. Do you want a little backrub while you’re here?”

 “Yeah, a little one sounds nice. Do it for too long and I’ll fall asleep. You’re too comfy, you know.”

“Says the tiny human heating pad on my lap.”

“You calmer now?” Viola asked after a while.

“Yeah? You?”

“Mostly. One more hug should do it.”

“Here, have a kiss for good luck, too,” Chrom said.

“And one for you too, of course.”

 Chrom grinned. “I liked that one!” He looked at the clock on the wall and groaned. “I guess our time is up.”

“Do you want to hold my hand while we walk?” Viola asked as she got down.

“Yes please.”

The room they had all gathered in was larger than she remembered. The crowd before them was a mix of their men and Mustafa’s. Viola stepped onto the stage first so she could cast a spell that allowed words to be carried all around the room.

"Hi, everyone. First off, to the Shepherds I want to say I'm really… sorry! I...I'm sorry I failed you all as a tactician! You're all so precious to me... I didn't... I didn't want to cause anyone else's death! I got scared…” Viola looked at the floor. “I'm not going to ask for forgiveness, but that’s why I… vanished for a little bit.” Viola braced herself as if she expected to be hit.

Chrom stepped up beside her and gently pushed her closer to his side. "That mess in the castle courtyard was all my fault. I was supposed to be a leader when things went south; instead I let my emotions hold me back."

 Viola tugged his hand. “Hey, look at me. There is nothing wrong with you following your emotions! I’ve always believed in you as a leader, Chrom,” Viola said gently. She held his hand again. “I really think you did the best that you could, given the circumstances! If you’re not going to blame me for what happened, I’m not going to let you blame yourself. That’s too much for one person!”

Chrom looked at her then, his face had a soft surprise to it she’d never seen before. “Vi…”

 She squeezed his hand. “E-even if you stumble at first, that’s okay! Nobody is asking you to be Emmeryn, just… be yourself. Be the best leader that you can for your people.”

“What if it’s… not good enough?” Chrom asked. He squeezed her hand back.

“If you’re not good enough, you’ll get better. You always do! I mean, you’ve grown so much even in the time that we’ve known one another. Sure, I think alone, neither of us is half the person Emmeryn was, but! I-um, I promise I’ll stay by your side for as long as you want me to! I’ll help you be the person you most want to be. We all will!” she smiled then. “I mean, look around you, everyone’s still here, right? I think together, all of us can make Emmeryn’s wish for peace come true.”

“Hey Chrom, why do you think we followed you in the first place?” Vaike’s voice boomed.

“It wasn’t because we were forced to!” Sumia said. “We’re with you all the way, both of you!”

“Viola. if you blame yourself for what happened one more time I will knock some sense into you! Take your own advice for once, smarty-pants!” Sully said.

“Despite the yelling I feel pretty loved right now,” Chrom remarked.

Viola nodded. “Chrom, Ishvalum karta.”

A hush fell over the Plegian part of the crowd.

“I have no idea what that means,” he whispered back.

“’I’ll tell you later, okay?”

“Is that the Plegian language?” Stahl whispered to Sully. “I don’t think she’s ever spoken to us in anything other than the common tongue.”

Sully laughed. “She must have said something _good_. Tharja’s jaw is on the floor.”

“Oh! This is for you, Viola,” Chrom said. “For all that you've done for us, I present you with the title of Grandmaster. Please accept it."

“I will. Thank you, Chrom.”

“I’d also like for you to… accept this, because the answer to how long I want you by my side is… forever.” Chrom lowered himself to the ground. “This ring was made for me when I was born. My mother told me to give it to the person I loved most in the world. That person is you, Viola. Will you marry me?”

“Ahh! That’s his signet ring!” Lissa screamed softly as she jumped up and down around Frederick. "I _knew_ that's why you asked Virion to send one of his carrier pigeons to the castle! I knew it! I knew it!" 

"Oh, um, you’re doing this now? B-but! My proposal gift for you isn't finished yet!" Viola cried.

"Proposal, gift?" Chrom asked.

"In Plegia, o-once a couple knows they want to marry, they e-exchange tokens that are symbolic of what their spouse means to them." Viola fumbled around in the pockets of her robe. "See?"

"Wow," Chrom murmured as he stood up and held out the intricate metal charm half way to the shape of Naga's brand. "You do good metal work."

"I just picked it up from watching Vaike fix his axe all the time, He taught me the basics, and then I applied some of my own ideas. I-it's supposed to be a protective charm," Viola said, keeping her eyes to the floor. She took a deep breath "I'm still working on infusing the spells into the metal, but if you wear it when it's done, it can help shield _you_ for once."

"I see," Chrom said with a wide smile. "In that case, I already know exactly what I'm going to start making for you after we finish this campaign. Forgive me, it was presumptuous of me to assume you had our marriage traditions."

"It’s okay, really! But, before you go, there's another thing we do," Viola said as she turned to the crowd. "Frederick, may I?”

Frederick sighed warmly. "You may."

"You may what?" Chrom asked.

"Um, Chrom, could you lean down again for just a little bit?"

"Of course, but why-?"

Viola leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed Chrom’s lips. "Because I want to say 'I love you,' and 'yes, I'll marry you,' in the way that I remember best."

Chrom laughed and pulled her into a hug before kissing her back. "You really are amazing."

 Most of the crowd cheered.

"Come on, I have a surprise for you." Chrom said as he took her hand and led her away into a smaller room. "Ta-da! Happy Birthday, Viola!"

The large table had various kinds of foods on it. She recognized Stahl's bear meat stew, and two of Sumia's pies, there was fresh bread, and the berries that Donnel and Kellam had grown were covered in cream. In the center, she recognized the smell of Lissa’s honey cakes, as well as a few Plegian pastries Tharja must have made.

"Everyone... made these things for me?"

"When I said that it was your birthday, all of us agreed that we wanted to celebrate it. I got everyone to help. Even Mustafa and his family helped us to decorate while you were off with your dad. Since you said you didn't want anything lavish, I thought that we could make some of your favorite dishes, and then everyone could eat them together. Gaius is finishing up a birthday cake for you."

“There’s a cake?”

 Chrom smiled. “It’s chocolate! I got some strawberries to top it with, too! Hopefully there’s enough for all of Mustafa’s men. I wanted to make sure they felt included, too.”

 Viola jumped and hugged him. “How on earth did I get so lucky?”

“That’s my line,” Chrom said. He carried her to the door. “Okay everyone! She approves! Come and eat!”


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bridges are rebuilt and a plan is set in motion.

Halfway through the meal, Viola’s eyes were gently covered by a small pair of hands.

“Guess who?” said a happy voice she hadn’t heard in months.

“Guess, guess!” said a second voice excitedly.

“Runa….?” Viola asked gently. “Telle, you’re here too, right?”

The hands uncovered her eyes. “Bingo!” The person who stepped before her was grinning widely. Viola remembered her now. Her vibrant red hair, the eyepatch, that smile.

“Surprise! Long time no see, Commander Viola!” The young blond girl all but tackled her to the ground. “We’re so glad you’re alive! Everyone said you had been killed!”

“But how did you get here?” Viola asked with a laugh. “Seriously, this place is a fortress.”

“Like that’s ever stopped me from breaking and entering before!” Runa said proudly as she puffed out her chest. “Tharja wrote all of us shortly after she found you again, and we just happened to be on an info gathering job for Lady Flavia when we saw you all come here. Grant let us in, and we introduced ourselves to the bluebloods while you were out with your dad. Chrom said it was okay to surprise you as long as we didn’t scare you.”

“Marie and Leonardo would have come to see you too, but she just gave birth, and he didn’t want to risk traveling in a potential war zone with his wife and new son.” Telle said. “I have this note from them, though!”

“Wait, our Leo was named Leonardo this whole time?” Viola asked as she read the note.

“Yeah, but he hates it, so that’s all we ever call him,” Runa said with a grin. “Hey, Prince. Nice job on popping the question! Proposals like that can be hard to pull off in front of a crowd that big!”

“Thanks. That was more than a little scary, even though I knew her answer already,” Chrom said. “Please, sit down and join us.”

“Y-you two saw that?” Viola stammered.

“It was so cute!” Telle squealed. She nuzzled Viola’s face before heading for a nearby chair. “You handled it so well! Not like when I was proposed to at all! I was so shocked I forgot to answer! Oh my gosh, this looks so yummy! Ahh! Who made the jam-filled blossom pastry?”

“That was me,” Tharja said. “They are Viola’s favorite, after all.”

“Well, technically he already asked me, but we hadn’t announced it to the others,” Viola said as she grabbed a pastry.  “What did you finally say, Telle?”

“Yes, obviously!” Telle said as she showed her hand. “Look for yourself!”

“Oh! How pretty!” Viola said.

“Runa _made_ these! There isn’t any other pair like them in the whole world! Isn’t that romantic?”

Chrom paused. He noticed the two girls were wearing matching rings. “ _Oh_! Congratulations on the engagement you two!”

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting a royal to notice we matched.” Runa looked at Chrom. “Do you happen know what the rule on marriage is in Ylisse? See, I _really_ want that girl as my wife, legally, you know, but Plegia went and passed its ‘no marriage while serving in the army law,’ and it _sucks_. If we try to tie the knot anywhere near there, we’ll get killed for either marrying with the law in effect, or for betraying the army when we all scattered after we lost our cute little commander.”

“It’s legal!” Lissa said as she waved at them.

“Oh thank the gods! We did _not_ want to trek all the way to Hoshido or Nohr to get married!” Telle said.

“Those kingdoms are myths, though, aren’t they?” Lissa asked.

“Sweet princess, we’d chase any myth if it meant we could stay together like other couples,” Runa said.

“Libra?” Lissa asked.

“Yes Princess?” he answered.

“By the Order’s standards, can I marry them myself?”

“You have the rank and authority if you wish to do so.”

“Is that okay with you two?” she asked. “I can do the paperwork right now and sent it to the order to confirm it. I’m sure we can pull off a little ceremony after it gets sent back to me. I hope you don’t mind you two being my first attempt at this sort of thing.”

Both Runa and Telle’s jaws were on the floor.

“Runa, the cute princess wants to marry us!” Telle whispered. “Is this real life?”

“Telle, pinch me, darling. I must be dreaming Oh! Yes, kiss me again please!”

Telle laughed before kissing her cheek again.

“Isn’t Lissa great?” Viola whispered to Telle.

“He must be pretty great too, if you said yes,” Telle said before she kissed Runa again. “No wonder you stayed on this side of the border with all these nice people.”   

“After we finish this wonderful meal, I would like to talk strategy with the royals and my former underlings” Mustafa said.

Mustafa lead them all into the Khan’s war council room. A large map was spread across the long table.

“This room was made for tall people,” Viola muttered.

“Do you want a boost?” Chrom asked.

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all.” Before he could pick her up, Chrom saw Frederick put a pillow down on one of the chairs. “Oh, I think Frederick is telling us we should sit down instead.”

Viola glanced over the map. The best place to attack would be in an open space away from any towns, but… “I really don’t think my people as a whole have their hearts set on war like King Gangrel does. Mustafa, your troop can’t be the only ones who were swayed by Emmeryn’s actions. Perhaps, if we could just tap into that desire for peace... I'm sure it outweighs those who desire war. If the army somehow were to become smaller as a result, we might have a chance at getting at Gangrel himself. He's the root of the problem."

“Telle, Runa, you wouldn’t happen to know any juicy details about the Mad King, would you?” Lissa asked. “We want to kick his butt!”

“Oh, do we ever. Moral is under the earth right now. In all honesty most of the army has put their weapons down and are trying to leave,” Telle said.

“Whaaat?” Lissa said.

“Your sister was a really amazing lady,” Telle said softly. “She inspired a lot of people with her courage.”

“Perhaps a few choice words from the Dragon’s Daughter would stir a fire in them?” Runa said.

“Ooo! Yeah!” Telle added.

“Is that a person or just a metaphor?” Viola asked. “I want something gentler, if I can manage it. A wildfire would do no good.” She turned and noticed Frederick had put a cup of tea down for her "Oh, thank you!"

"Maribelle swears that this blend helps clear the head, so I asked Frederick to brew some for you," Chrom said.

“Aww, thanks, Frederick!”

“You’re welcome, milady. I sweetened it for you as well. It is quite bitter on its own,” Frederick said.

“Wow! You have a steward now, Viola?” Runa remarked.

“He’s not a steward Runa; he’s a knight and very good one, so be nice.”

“Okay, for you Commander. Sorry Mr. Knight-Steward.”

“Commander, you probably don’t remember this, but you and Tharja use to cast these little uh, persuasion spells, so that anyone nearby where we needed would go and do something else so they wouldn’t be hurt. You sent a lot of people to do their grocery shopping. Maybe if you gave them a place to go to, it’d be a lot easier for them to leave.”

Viola sipped her tea. “Oh! Oh! OH!”

"Too hot?" Chrom asked.

"No! The tea is perfect! The honey was a wonderful addition." She chugged the rest of it down. "Excuse me for a moment. I need to talk to Tharja and my mom to see if what I'm thinking to do is even possible as a spell. Lissa, I need you, too! Come with me?"

“Of course!”

Hand in hand, they left the room in a hurry.

"Milord, shall I go after them?" Frederick asked.

"Please keep an eye on them. I have things I want to discuss with the others alone."

Frederick shot a look before he left. Mustafa muffled his chuckle with his hand.

“Why do I feel like I’ve heard that dragon name before?” Chrom asked as soon as Frederick left.

“The Dragon’s Child is a name given to those of our people who cause a great change. We have been inclined to call its current incarnation a daughter because of her crafty tactics during some early raids in our campaign against you,” Mustafa said.

“Ah, that's right, I remember those reports now. None of our men were harmed, but we lost some very crucial supply lines that set us back almost a week. So there’s an actual person?”

“Uh-huh! She’s won every challenge that the Mad King threw at her. Her record of success is still unmatched,” Runa said with a grin. “But she’s more famous for _how_ she handled them, which was peacefully. She hated killing people.”

“Where is she now?”

“Many presume her to be dead. Crossing the border is dangerous business, you know,” Telle said.

“If you’re talking about who I’m thinking of, you can’t have her back. I love that girl, and I’ll fight with all I've got to keep her happy and safe.”

“Dang, you really do love her, don’t you?” Runa said. “Part of me thought your marrying her was a political move.”

“May you have the strength to protect each other during the troubled times to come. It won’t be easy taking an enemy maiden as your bride,” Mustafa said.

“I know, but this is something we both want. My heart won’t be swayed to anyone else. Politics be damned.”

“Good man,” Runa said. “What matters most is that you love each other. You don’t have to listen to what other people say. It can be hard to do, but if she’s a big part of your happiness, then that’s all that matters.”

“That reminds me, she said some Plegian phrase that I’m not familiar with; do any of you know what it means?”

“Yes, ‘Ishvalum karta.’  If you were to put it in common terms, it’s something like… ‘I am whole because of you.’ It’s a very… intimate expression that’s not usually spoken in front of others. Though, I suppose it was her way of letting my men know that she’s chosen you in that way,” Mustafa said.

 “Wow, our shy little Viola said _that_?” Telle asked. She covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

“Be wary, most of us do not find the nobles of any country to be of honorable intention when it comes to lower-born women,” Mustafa said. “You didn’t _do_ anything to her, did you?”

Chrom turned very red. "If you’re implying what I think you are, that hasn’t happened yet! We’ve only had time to exchange a few kisses, and we’ve been lucky to get even that much time to ourselves!”

“With that knight always around you? Yeah I’m not surprised by this at all,” Runa said.

“I _told_ you it was an intimate expression not often spoken in front of others,” Mustafa said. “Usually, it’s reserved for after a couple has seen each other naked, which you know, implies certain things, but when I look at you now… let me guess, it took all your courage just to say how you felt?”

Chrom nodded again.

Mustafa sighed warmly. “That mischievous child. I suppose someone should remind her about the context before someone gets crass.”

“How do I say it back?” Chrom asked.

The three of them looked genuinely surprised for a moment.

“Ishvalum karta. Ish- val-um-kar-ta,” Telle said.

“Iskbal yuuum cahrza?” Chrom repeated.

Mustafa laughed. “I see that our mother tongue is harsh in your mouth. You just asked to be slapped repeatedly with a fish.

“Usually one reserves that phrase for comedy,” Runa said with a smile.

Chrom sighed. “I knew I’d struggle with it. Language has never been my strong point. Still, I want to try. I realize I’ve been far too ignorant about this whole conflict. I want to be able to aide those refugees who might come into our borders seeking sanctuary. I must do what I can to be a good leader for anyone who calls Ylisse home. Besides, she should be able to speak her own language freely if she wants. It's up to me to be able to understand her.”

"I see. If you feel that way, perhaps my family and I should cross the border into Ylisse as well," Mustafa said.

“Oh, we are for sure moving after the war,” Runa said. “Right, darling?”

“Yeah! That way we can see Commander Viola and Princess Lissa whenever we want!” Telle said.

“Yes, come! We’d be glad to have all you and your families!” Chrom said.

Gaius suddenly dashed into the room and pulled on Chrom's arm. “Blue! Blue! Come quick! The new girl is-!”

"What's wrong, Gaius?" Chrom asked. Olivia, the dancer, was their newest member.

“Come on!”

Viola said something playfully in Plegian which caused the warriors to clap rhythmically.

“Let me guess, they wanted the dancer to perform?” Mustafa said.

“Yeah that was it, but she was really uncomfortable with all the attention. Then Bubbles jumped in and with all the Plegian being spoken, I thought there might be a fight, so I ran to get Blue.”

“Relax, that’s just a clap back," Runa said. "It’s a custom of ours. Performers use it to engage an audience and provoke a reaction.”

Chrom watched as Viola, offered her hand to Olivia as an invitation to dance with her. Once Oliva took her hand, Viola sang some kind of folk song as she danced with her. Tharja danced, too.

“Ah, ‘The Two Mages and the Very Long Wall’; how long it has been since I have heard this story." Mustafa remarked with a smile. He glanced at Chrom’s surprised expression. "It was not unusual to see Viola and Tharja do this when they were alone. I am glad to see it again. It’s closer to the Viola I knew in Plegia. Heh, for them to be like this, her idea must be a very plausible one.”

"What's the cause for the celebration, Vi?" Chrom asked.

Viola clapped her hands to the rhythm of the song. “I’m going to have all our mages make a _massive_ warp spell and spread it like a fog over Gangrel’s camp. That way, if any soldiers truly don’t want to fight us, they won’t be forced to and we can send them here. It’s plenty big enough The Mad King should lose his numbers, and we won’t have to kill needlessly. Tharja says we can do it, but it’s a mix of at least two types magic so it will be hard on all of us. We're going to work on the spell tomorrow after everyone has rested. Sound good?”

Chrom kissed her. “I love you, it sounds perfect. Hey, Tharja, may I cut in?”

"I suppose I should bow out to the one she became whole with," Tharja said with a grin. "It's only proper."

Viola blushed deeply. “For the _last_ time, I didn’t misspeak! But! Um, I forgot the… the racy context of the expression.”

"Of course you did," Tharja said with a devious smile.

“You little sneak,” Chrom murmured in her ear. “You did too know what it meant.”

Viola grinned. “Shhhhh.”

*

After the musical interlude, Viola met with Virion to go play a strategy game to help clear her mind before she went to bed.

Chrom saw Tharja sitting alone in a room looking at the ceiling.

“Hello Tharja,” he said.

“Hello Prince.”

“May I sit with you?”

“Do what you want.”

Chrom sat down beside her. “Are you mad at me again?”

“Why should I be? The girl I knew as Viola died when she crossed the border and lost everything but her core. This one chose you to hold her heart, and you consented to it; what does it matter to me now?”

Chrom decided not to remark about the shadows Tharja was projecting. He saw a little Viola, little Tharja walking hand and hand. Tharja tending to Viola’s sliced hands as she cried, Viola doing her best to shield Tharja from stones with her small body, Tharja chasing away a boy, Viola leaning into to kiss her forehead time after time as they struggled through battle after battle, then suddenly, an argument in Plegian with Viola storming out, but not before kissing Tharja on the very tip of her nose.

“I didn’t… take her from you, did I?” Chrom asked.

“No, but thank you for checking. Despite how many men I chased away, I don’t love her in the same way you do.”

“But you do love her deeply; I can tell. I could always tell.”

 Tharja eyed him. “And yet you did not stop me.”

“Why should I have? I trust her. She’s allowed to love as many people as she wants in whatever way she wants to love them.”

“I’ll always love her; whatever form she takes. Life after life, I’ll love her. All I want is to follow in her light as her shadow, just let me stay beside her and be there for her when she needs me.”

“Please do.”

“Huh?”

“Please stay beside her and be there for her when she needs you. I know there will be times when she needs you and not me to comfort her. I mean, she remembered you, even when she lost so much. That’s a strong bond. I’m not as smart as she is, but I’m not _that_ stupid or that insecure.”

“Thank the gods for that,” Tharja paused. “My Viola sense is tingling. I’ll bring her back. Oh and I don’t hate you anymore.” She then disappeared into her own shadow.

*

“Do you want to play a round or two of chess, Virion? I don't think I'll be able to sleep unless I calm my mind down. It's been racing all evening trying to plan," Viola said

"I am always happy to be your opponent, my dear," Virion said. "Of course, I could always sing you to sleep, if you'd prefer that method."

"While I'd love to hear you sing, please don't try and seduce me. I am engaged now."

"Ah yes, it was a wonderful proposal, and I am very glad for you and our commander. I am a little sorry for myself that I did not make a stronger attempt at winning you to my side when I had the chance. I have a feeling things would have played out differently for me if I had someone like you during the invasion of my homeland."

"Oh, stop teasing me," Viola said as she made her move.

“I am not teasing," Virion said as he pondered his move. "You are one of the brightest women I’ve ever come across. Don’t give me that look; you are a rare breed, Viola of Plegia, and the companionship we've shared over these months has become very dear to me.”

“I feel the same. Is it okay to keep things as they are? I mean, I’ve always liked our friendship. Oh! Um...”

“Of course, I would be honored." Virion looked at the game. "What? Checkmate already? How _did_ you do that?”

"I've been plotting ahead all day. I've made half a dozen scenarios for this game alone. Do you mind playing again? I'll slow down this time, I promise."

"I will play as many times as it takes for you to feel fatigued. It's terrible to bed with an overactive mind. My offer to sing is still open. Or perhaps I could get you to sing for me instead?"

Viola laughed. "Beat me, and then we'll talk. Or you could just wait to see if I keep my nerve tomorrow."

“Ah, tomorrow, you say? Shall we make some wagers then?”

“Viola, it is far too late for a lady such as yourself to be in a gentleman's tent, especially _this_ gentleman’s," Tharja said.

“I feel I should take umbrage with that,” Virion said. “My intentions were nothing but pure.”

“You were flirting with your commander’s fiancée. That hardly seems pure to me.”

“How late is it?” Viola asked.

“The moon is out and everyone else is heading to bed. You need your beauty sleep,” Tharja said as she took Viola’s hand.

“Tharja, will you stay with me again tonight?”

“Of course I will. Will it just be me, or do you want to invite others?”

“Just you. That’s okay, right?”

“Of course it is. I hope you had a nice birthday, Viola. You deserved it.”

“I did.”

“I’m glad. Come, I’m sure your fiancé wants to say goodnight to you.”

“Tharja, d-do you really think this will work?”

 Tharja kissed her nose. “It’s one of your ideas, of course it will work.”

 Viola returned the gesture and smiled before Tharja pulled her into the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I never in my life thought any of my fan works would get over 5,000 views. Thank you for enjoying this story so far. <3!


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The massive warp spell brings more complications than expected.

The next morning, Viola was on breakfast duty. Amir, Mustafa’s young son, was helping her prepare the food by gathering what she needed from storage. They sang a children’s song as they worked.

“That’s a cute song,” Lissa remarked as she made herself some tea. “Oh! That smells so good!”

“All children of Plegia learn this song in school,” the boy said, smiling a loose-tooth smile.

Viola paused from stirring the batter. “Thank you, Amir!” She hugged the boy and kissed his cheek. “You just helped me solve my dilemma. Such a smart boy!”

“Ah! Perhaps you are going to use this song to help the soldiers know it’s safe?” the boy asked.

“That’s right!”

“Yay! I have missed hearing you sing!” Amir said.

“Huh?” Viola said.

“You used to do it a lot when you would visit us!” he said.

“Because you always asked her,” his mother said gently. She glanced at Viola. “Ah, you are making pancakes!”

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you teach me this recipe, Tima?” Viola asked.

The woman smiled warmly. “I did. It was back when you were newly-recruited. You mostly helped me in the kitchen back then because you were still a child, and Mustafa and I wanted to keep you out of the battle for as long as we could, but that did not last. Your talents simply refused to stay hidden, no matter how hard we tried.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Do not be; it simply happened sooner than we wished.”

Breakfast with Mustafa’s troops and family had taken some getting used to, but now, none of the Shepherds minded their company.

After eating, Viola checked to make sure all the symbols on the warp circle were corrected before sighing loudly. “Okay. Let’s see if this actually works.”

“Do you want to hold my hand?” Chrom asked.

“Oh gosh, _yes_!”

Chrom smiled. Viola had death grip on his hand, but her voice was steady as she sang. He wasn’t surprised when little Amir began to sing with her.

The magic emanating from the warp circle the crackled with raw energy. Just how many bodies were being called to their side?

“Viola?” a confused voice asked.

Chrom blinked. _Hundreds_. There were so many bodies, they were being scattered all around the outside the circle. This must have been at least half of Gangrel’s whole army! And they kept coming!

One of the men ran up to Viola and kissed her on the lips.

Now hold on just a second!

“Who… are you?” Viola asked in shock.

The young man looked hurt. “Wait, you really… don’t remember me?”

The others began to speak in a low hush.

Viola plugged her ears as a Wind spell swirled around her. Was she…?

Chrom jumped up and held onto her with all his might! Not this time, Warp spell!

*

Chrom opened his eyes to find Viola laying on top of him in the snow. By the looks of it, they were a ways away from camp. “You okay?”

Stupid question; she was crying as she answered. “No! I think I’ll just burry myself here in the snow forever!”

Chrom smiled a little and sat down beside her as she began to dig. “You do remember the last time you said that, don’t you?”

“But I _mean_ it this time!”

“If you’re not careful, I’m going to lean back and smoosh you,” Chrom warned.

“You’d better not!”

“Ahhh, what I good time for a nap!” Chrom said as he started to lean back.

“No! it’s not! You could freeze! Fine! If I can’t stay behind you, then I want to stay here!” she said as she curled up on his chest. “Can I stay like this with you until I calm down? I’ll be sure to keep you warm.”

“That’s the idea. It’s hard to comfort you when you hide behind me, you know.”

“Oh. Can you maybe… pat my head?”

“Just your forehead? Or can I stroke your hair, too?”

“That’s fine.”

“It’s soft. I thought it would be, and you’re so warm. Are you using magic? Don’t overexert yourself for my sake.”

“Something like this is fine. I’m just using a little, promise.” Viola sighed. “I don’t know what came over me back there, but when he kissed me and nothing came back, then they all started questioning me and I….”

“You’re allowed to be sad that you lost your memories, you know. It must be difficult for you to see all these people who might be from your past and not know who they are to you. Especially if one of them kissed you.”

Viola curled into him. “I just… I wonder if the other Plegian warriors hate me. Am I betraying my people in their eyes? Would the person I was before approve of who I am now?” She held tightly to him. “Being with you and the Shepherds is the only thing that makes any sense to me right now!”

“You are one of us, Viola. Nothing could possibly change that. And if I may be so bold, none of us want to see you leave our ranks.”

“Sorry, I’m just thinking out loud.”

“It’s fine. I think it’s better to express yourself, especially when you’re feeling sad.”

“Did you learn that from Emmeryn? That sounds like something she’d say.”

“No, actually. She was surprisingly reserved with her negative emotions. She would often mask things like sadness and pain in front of others. I’m sure some found her unfeeling because of it.” Chrom laughed a bit. “I can’t… do that. I need to express myself when things bother me.”

Viola nuzzled against him. “I’ll always be an ear, if you need one.”

“I can’t write poetry, or serenade you to prove the depth of my love, but I will always have your back in whatever you decide to do. I trust you.”

“I really love my husband,” She paused. “Uhhhh...”

Chrom blushed, but his smile was huge. “That’s good, because I really love my wife!”

 Viola sniffled. “Wow, I actually feel a lot better! Thank you!”

“Yes! Mission accomplished!” He picked her up easily. “Okay, let’s see just how far away from camp you took us.”

Viola made a small wind spell that stopped the snow from falling on their heads.

They didn’t actually have to travel far to return camp. When Chrom locked eyes with the new, confused units, he pointed to Viola who was still in his arms and said, “To zikusha.”

 Viola’s mouth hung open. “When did you learn the Plegian word for ‘wife’?”

“Did I say that right? According to Mustafa and the others, my accent is _terrible_.”

“It is, but I don’t care! You said something like, ‘this is _my_ wife!’ ‘To’ is normally for possession and connection.”

Chrom grinned. “Oh good!” He kissed her on the lips. “That’s _exactly_ what I wanted to get across.”

Well, that got everyone talking wildly again.

Viola shook with laughter, but she managed to kiss him back very sweetly. She turned to the crowd. “Das, das! To muskata!”

Chrom beamed.

“ _There_ you two are!” Lissa said. “You’re going to miss it!”

“Miss what?” Chrom asked.

“I’m officiating a wedding, remember? The brides are asking for Viola.” Lissa said with a smile. “Libra! You’re my second!”

 Libra paused. “This is not a duel, Princess.”

“I AM DUELING ON BEHALF OF THE POWER OF TRUE LOVE! ARE YOU WITH ME?”

 Libra smiled. “Ah, I suppose I can get behind that.”

“Go see your friends,” Chrom whispered to Viola. “I’ll come by for the ceremony.” He then put her down.

“Don’t duel anyone in that crowd while I’m gone, mister!” Viola said as she followed Lissa.

“Aww, not even this one?” Chrom put the man in a friendly headlock. “This guy looks like he really wants to come at me!”

“Vaur honar ast zulstag!” the man shouted at her.

Viola’s ears perked. “What was that about my honor?” She turned around, walked up to Chrom, and pulled the man down to the ground with a Wind spell. “Anybody who has a problem with _my_ choice in who _I_ decided to marry can take it up with _me_! Is that clear? Honestly, I was trying to have him save his strength for something _important_. If he wasted it all on proving himself to you lot individually, that’d be a very stupid move.”

“Agreed. Of course, I _could_ just take them all at once,” Chrom said with a grin.

“You could, easily, but you’d get very bored. If you really need to burn off some energy, ask my Dad to help train you.”

*

“You’re mostly using the healers and mages to face the King, Commander?” Runa said with shock. “Can you tie the ribbons in the back?”

Viola nodded. “Hold your breath for a second. Sand is hard for most of our cavalry to move in so that cuts out most of the horses. The shapeshifters have agreed to help, and our fliers will stay in the air. Okay, done! You can come in now, Grant!”

“Oh. Panne and Nowei are going to be part of the front lines?” Grant asked as he entered the tent.

“Tiki too. I mean, what’s more intimidating to the average person than staring down a dragon of her size?”

 Grant sighed. “And here I thought you were actually having some nice bonding time with my wife when you asked her over to tea while you helped Runa calm down and get ready.”

“We get along great, actually! She suggested it,” Viola said with a smile.

“I did!” Tiki said. “And this tea is very nice. We had many other, non- war conversations before I brought it up, right, Runa?”

“They did,” Runa said.

Grant looked confused.

“You’ll be in the back with the other healers, won’t you, darling? It only makes sense that I should protect your line with my fully transformed body. Mortal weapons are basically useless against _my_ scales and her even spells.”

 Grant put his arms around her and leaned against her back. “If you insist.”

 She looked up at him. “I do. Besides, if things get rough for me, you’ll heal me right away; you always do.”

“Okay, I’m convinced, but make sure you get plenty of sleep. I don’t want you fainting in the middle of the battle.”

“That would be a problem, wouldn’t it?” She settled her head against his chest. “This is the best place to nap.”

 Grant smiled and stroked her hair. “Is it now?”

“Uh-huh. Your heartbeat is so soothing to me.”

“Ah, you’re doing that purring thing…”

A few moments later, it was Grant who fell asleep.

Tiki opened one eye. “Works every time. Viola, you wouldn’t mind if I stole him for the rest of the day, would you? I want to make sure _other_ influences keep out of his head before we fight such an important battle, and I haven’t been alone with him for some time. Two birds, as it were.”

“Of course, do whatever you need to, just be back before dark. I want to check in with both of you later.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Tiki lifted Grant with ease and carried him outside. Her dragonstone emanated as soft glow. She smiled warmly at his sleeping face and held him close to her as the wings began to sprout from her back and her whole body changed. She held him gently in her claws and took to the air.

“You do know what ‘alone time’ usually means, right?” Runa said with a grin.

 Viola made a face. “I do, _yes_.”

“Do you like her?”

“She seems like a very nice, and fun person. I wasn’t lying when I said we got along. And it’s obvious that she adores my brother for who he is. She got so animated when I asked her about their life at the temple. It was really cute!”

“Oh? Any good bits I can tease Grant about?”

“Her stories were mostly of small moments. How they first met in the flower garden, how she caught him singing a prayer for my safety, and couldn’t pull herself away from the sound his voice after that, how he got _so_ worried about her the first time she slept for more than a day.”

Runa grinned again. “Ugh, sounds _sappy_ , just like all my failed attempts at courting the cute girl in my unit.”

“Was I there for that?” Viola asked.

“Gosh, that memory curse the king put on the border must have been strong. Commander, you _encouraged_ me to get to know Tielle. You were my wingmate!”

“I was a what now?” Viola asked.

“You found ways for us to just _happen_ to be on the same duty at the same time. We got very good at patrolling together. We talked a lot during that time, and then she kissed me while on night patrol, and I was so happy, and ever since then I’ve wanted to make her just as happy.”

“Um, Runa, was I ever engaged, or in a relationship?”

“Pfft. No. You had plenty of admires in the camps, sure, but you and Grant worked together to keep any unwanted advances far away from either of you. He didn’t want any romantic attention either, not that it stopped anyone from trying.”

“But that kiss…”

“Do you know how many lives you just saved with that stunt? He was happy to be alive, to see you alive. I don’t think anyone will try to pull anything like that now. I’m glad you got your wish, Commander.”

“My wish?”

“To see Prince Chrom again. You told us the story of what happened when you were kids. We all knew wanted to see him, and try to talk things out, you tried to arrange a meeting with the royals so many times, but you were always worried he wouldn’t remember you. Now, look at you, you went and married him! I got to say, you two are pretty cute together!”

Viola blushed deeply, but she smiled. “He is going to _laugh_ when he hears that. Shall I escort you to your own bride now?”

“Yes! If anyone objects to this union when prompted, so help me….” Runa muttered as Viola led her down the pathway to the makeshift temple.

“You look really great Runa,” Viola said. “The dress compliments you well.”

“Have you seen Tielle’s dress? Talk about a knockout!” Runa said with a grin. “Gosh, I can’t believe all of this. I never thought I’d be married to my darling Tielle by our enemy’s princess, of all people.”

“I hope you two can keep the happiness you have. I’ve always wanted the best for you,” Viola said. “Look at the moon, Runa! It’s full What a wonderful sign! Your marital bond is accepted by the gods!”

Tielle kissed Runa fiercely when Lissa prompted her. She all but jumped to reach her lips. “Thank you Princess Lissa!”

“You are very welcome! Thank you for agreeing to be my first attempt at this sort of thing.”

“Is something wrong Princess?” Tielle asked. “You sound sad.”

“I’m scared for what’s to come, but I also really glad I was able to help you two find some happiness.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Princess Lissa! My wife and I will be protecting you when you face King Jerkface.” Tielle hid her face in her hands. “Ahh~ I can’t believe I can actually call my darling Runa my wife!”

“It sounds good to me!” Runa said. “Say it more!”

“No! I can’t ask that of you!” Lissa said.

“It’s not a question of being asked,” Runa said. “We both want to do this. We like you, Princess Lissa, it’s like you said, your willingness has helped us achieve something that we’ve been trying to do for almost a year. We want to make sure you and yours get home safely. My girl is a damn good shot with that bow of hers, and if anybody gets too close to you for comfort, I’ll gut them! Oh, hey Val, what’s up?”

“Hello and congratulations to you both. I need all the female magic users and animal handlers to come with me, please,” Valoria said. “That includes you, Princess.”

“Oh, okay. What’s this about?” Lissa asked as she followed her.

“It’s about him, dear.”

In the center of the tent was a massive winged horse with black plumage.

“What is that ghastly beast?” Maribelle gasped.

“It’s scary…” Lissa murmured as she leaned into Maribelle.

“It’s Boo! Hi Boo!” Viola said excitedly. She ran up to the large, black, winged-horse and rubbed his nose with her hand. He responded by nuzzling her. “Aww! I missed you too, buddy!”

“It’s a special breed of Pegasus used by a high class of mages,” Sumia said as she pet him. “They are really hard to come by, let alone tame. It’s said that wind pools at their hooves, giving them a boost to strike again, but only after blood has been shed.”

“Ah, so you’ve heard of the Galeforce ability?” Valoria said with a smile.

“Yes, it’s a very rare talent only present in that breed,” Sumia said.

“Correct! My friend does not want to be forced to fight anymore, but we can’t keep him with us, we don’t have the space, especially with the baby on the way. We thought perhaps he could to grant some of his feathers to some of you, but you have to prove your worth to him, of course.”

“Oh! Boo, are you molting? Did I stroke your wing too hard?” Viola asked.

“He gave you one of his feathers, sweetie. Keep that feather with you until the magic in it absorbs into your body.”

“Uh, Mom? It’s gone already.”

“My little prodigy,” Valoria said with a hint of sadness and pride. “Very well, give it a try, but don’t injury yourself seriously, just a little cut will do.”

Viola concentrated and used a Wind spell to create a little cut on her unprotected hands. She followed it up with a small Fire spell.

“Wow…”

“Who else would like to try?” Valoria asked.

“Oh! Me, me!” Sumia said.

“Very well, do your best!” Valoria said.

“Look at you! What a handsome boy you are!”

Boo calmly rested his head in her lap.

“It seems he likes you too, Sumia,” Valoria said.

“Oh gosh! Is this feather for me?”

Eventually, Maribelle, Lissa and, surprisingly, Oliva all found their own ways of connecting to and bonding with Boo.

 Once the test was over, Boo folded his wings over his face.

“Oh! Oh! I remember this game! Where’s Boo? I don’t see him!” Viola said

Death incarnate unfolded his wings.

“There you are! I found you! Yay!”

“Hey, Viola, isn’t that Chrom over by your dad?” Lissa said.

Viola started laughing. “This I have to see!”

*

“Wu’kan!” Chrom called.

“Yes?”

“I _really_ want to cross swords with you.”

 Wu’kan nodded, he was grinning. “Likewise. I want to make sure your strength is more than that of the legendary sword. If you truly want to face off against the Mad King, you’ll need more than righteous fury.”

“I know. I was hoping someone with your skill level could help me channel that rage into something useful.”

“Very well, I’ll accept!”

 Viola jumped up and down trying to see past the large crowd of onlookers. “Frederick, I can’t see the match! And I really want to cheer for Chrom…”

“Would you like to sit on my shoulders?” he asked.

“If that’s not too much trouble…”

“Not at all, even with the added weights to keep you grounded, you are light. Up you go. Watch the spikes on my armor, now.”

“Wow! I can see everything now! Thank you!”

Frederick smiled.

“Oh! There is Viola, she’s watching us over there,” Wu’kan said as he paused. waved at her.

“She is?” Chrom turned. “Oh! She is! Hi, Vi!”

“Go Chrom! Whoo!” Viola called as she waved back.

Chrom blushed. “Gah! She’s actually cheering for me! Are you mad?”

 Wu’kan grinned. “She knows I’m strong. I’m not offended. Besides, you seem happy by her choice. Shall we continue?”

“Alright, I have to follow this up with a really cool move that will be sure to impress her!”

 Wu’kan blocked his strike. “You get one free shot at a cool move. Do you want to use it now?”

“Oh, in that case, I’ll save it, thank you!”

 “You doing well, young Prince. You’re putting more thought into your moves than I expected.”

“Haha! I suppose I have your daughter to thank for my shift in perspective. She gets mad at me when I act too recklessly. Of course, I’m the same way when she overdoes it with her magic, which she does, often.”

 “Heh, I am glad to hear that you keep each other in check. It’s been a long time since I have had a match I’ve enjoyed so much!”

“Likewise! Would it be acceptable to you if I asked you to teach me more about your sword style? Your technique is so different than my own.”

“Come at me with everything you have then! I do not take pupils unless I see their potential to learn from my teachings and improve.”

“Yes, sir!”

“I will teach you, but I will not go easy on you just because you are my daughter’s intended.”

“Thank you!”

Viola ran up to him. “He agreed to teach you? He _never_ does that! How cool!”

“Were you impressed?” Chrom asked eagerly.

 Viola beamed. “Of course I was! I love seeing you show off how strong you are! It always makes my heart race! I can’t believe I get to call you my husband. Oh! I did it again, sorry.”

“No, no! I’m so happy my wonderful wife thinks I’m strong and cool! Your opinion means the world to me! Seems like I impressed some of the non-believers, too!”

“Good. We don’t need in-fighting right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Nanowrimo happened in November, and then this chapter took a bit longer to actually fit together properly. I hope it was worth the wait!
> 
> *I did actually grind for galeforce with as many units as I could in Viola's file, and I wanted to make it canon. XD


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Twas the night before battle, and all through the camp, things got very shippy.

“Chrom, can I come in?” Viola’s voice asked.

“Hi Vi, what are you doing here at this hour, with an… escort?” Chrom’s voice dropped with annoyance. “Oh, hi, Frederick.”

“I’ve been informed from multiple sources, including the new brides, that it is much more appropriate for betrothed couples in Plegia to stay in the same room at night,” Frederick said.

“Oh. I see. I suppose it didn’t really matter with just Grant and Tharja knowing that custom, right?”

“Is that… okay with you?” Viola asked shyly.

“Of course it is; come here already.” It did not take her long to start to fall asleep against him. “I feel strangely flattered that you’ve settled down so fast.”

“You’re comfy and familiar. Can I snuggle your arm?”

“Whatever helps you get your beauty sleep.”

“Tomorrow is a big day, milord. We’re going to march early,” Frederick said.

Chrom eyed Frederick. “You’re going to stay here all night, aren’t you?”

Frederick smiled. “Of course. I must make sure nothing improper happens.”

Chrom sighed. “Really, you too? I can already tell you she’s conked out and I’m going to follow her shortly.”

“I’m well aware of the chaste nature of your courtship, but I still feel it is my duty as your knight to protect your reputation. I want to shield Lady Viola from potential abductions as well.”

Chrom instinctively pulled Viola closer to him. “ _Excuse_ me?”

“Some of the new men have said some things that have made her worried for her safety. The main perpetrator insisted they were jests, but then others did begin to question the legitimacy of your engagement because it really is a custom for a Plegian couple to start sharing a living space soon after a proposal, and the fact that you weren’t raised questions.”

“Is the soldier being dealt with?”

“He is.”

“By whom?”

“Maribelle took charge of his punishment. Tharja was going to do it, but Maribelle _insisted._ ”

Chrom snorted. “You know how she gets when one of her own feels threatened by anyone rude. Go check on her, would you? We’ll be fine.”

“Very well, I do have something I need to discuss with Sumia.” Frederick glared at Chrom. “Please don’t make me regret trusting you, milord.”

“If Chrom goes flying because of one of my Wind spells, _then_ you can yell at him, okay Frederick?” Viola murmured. “He knows his boundaries with me.”

“Very well. Sweet dreams, Viola.”

Viola’s eyes fluttered open shortly after Frederick left the tent.

“How was that?” Chrom asked with a grin. “I got him to leave pretty quickly even with you in the same space.”

“Surprisingly good. You knew I wanted to talk with just you for a little bit before I really fell asleep, didn’t you?”

Chrom rubbed her head. “You had that look when you came in, yes.”

“I want to know… what you plan to do when you face Gangrel. Weapons and all that,” she yawned and curled into his chest. “So warm…”

“Heh, you comfy?” Viola nodded. “I’m not using Falchion against him. I will not have it be said that I won this fight because of the legendary blade. I _will_ beat him, and I _will_ do so with my own strength!”

“Hehehe, you sound really cool right now and your heart is going nuts. I’d maybe use a spear against him. He favors a sword that can cast lightning. It’s scary if you’re not expecting it. He likes surprises like that.”

“Did he scare you with it?”

“Lots of times. He electrocuted the person right next to me when we were giving our reports once. I hated reporting to him. I was able to save her, but still. I was always so scared he was going to strike me, even when I gave him the news he wanted. I’m so glad... you’re not like him or Algol.”

“Who is Algol? You’ve never mentioned that name before.”

“Um, he was… part of the army. He experimented on people… a lot. I didn’t remember him until someone else…. Brought him up. It all came flooding back so fast.”

“What a charming individual.”

 “Whole villages would disappear overnight. Nobody said anything, but we all knew of his work. Some of the more human Risen we’ve seen look like what he was trying to achieve for the king.”

“Oh gods. So people can get turned into Risen?”

“I think so, yes. I’m not sure how, but…”

“Talk about an unpleasant memory. No wonder you didn’t want to sleep by yourself with all that in your head.”

“Ah! You knew?”

“It’s pretty obvious to me at this point when you’re scared and don’t want to be alone at night.  I’m surprised Frederick even allowed this. You usually are with Tharja or Sumia when that happens.”

“Ah, well Sumia… does have something important she wants to say to Frederick tonight, so I couldn’t ask her. It’s taken all her courage to do this.”

“Oh? _Oh_! Well, I hope she can say what she feels. If he rejects her, I’m sure he’ll do it as gently as possible.”

Viola’s cheeks puffed slightly. “Besides! Every other married couple in our ranks is having some alone time right now. It might not be the same as the others, but I’ll take it! and I really was questioned about the legitimacy of my engagement to you by multiple people today. Honestly, even if I hadn’t completely forgotten about the custom, I wouldn’t have brought it up with you. Yours are different.”

 Chrom kissed her forehead. “I’m just happy I can be with you when you need me. Hmm, what’s something nice we can talk about?”

Viola blushed. “Um, do you suppose there’s enough room in the royal pasture that I can keep Boo there? Maybe he could have some foals?”

“Oh, yeah! The Pegasus Knights will be thrilled to have him. New blood in the herd is always a good thing. Also, more Galeforce worthy mounts would be _awesome._ ”

“Wouldn’t it? I hope it gets passed on to a few foals.”

 _“_ Thank you, sweetheart _._ ”

“For what….?” she asked.

“For giving my sister her confidence back.”

“I didn’t do anything Lissa passed the Galeforce test with her own strength.”

“She did, but you showed all of them another way to handle their fears, one that’s far more empowering for them. They wouldn’t have thought to try the test if you hadn’t done it first. Even Olivia feels good about the new power. Honestly, I’m a little jealous it can only be bestowed on women.”

Viola laughed. “If you had Galeforce, you’d never stop training until your body fell from exhaustion. Who knows, since it’s in my blood now, maybe our children can inherit it. Oh! I never really asked if you wanted to have children, did I? Or is that… too awkward of a subject to discuss right now with the two of us alone…. in your room?”

“Hmm, why the pause, Vi? Where did your mind just go?”

“I-I wasn’t thinking about anything!”

“I bet you weren’t, little miss tomato-face.” Chrom sighed warmly into her hair. “One must continue the royal bloodline, but I don’t want it to be tonight, unless you have some kind of contraception charm?”

“I do, actually. Mom made me one since I’m an adult now, but the odds of us getting caught in the act are stupidly high… and I’d prefer if we take it slowly… I don’t want to rush the experience as it might hurt me if we go too fast… _Wait_! _Wait_! I think I said that wrong! I’m asking if you, not as a royal, but just as Chrom, want children someday. I’m not trying to come on to you right now!”

Chrom smiled knowingly. “Too bad. I was _this_ close to saying yes to the idea. Though, I completely agree that we should take it slow. If it’s something that must be done, I’d rather we both enjoy it, you know?”

 Viola fell into him. He could feel the heat from her cheeks. “Will you answer me seriously before I die of embarrassment? Is it something _you_ want?”

Chrom stroked her hair. “Just me, huh? Nobody ever asked me like that before. Do I have to answer right now?”

“Of course not. Assuming we don’t die horribly in the coming battle, we’ll have plenty of time to discuss the future.”

“Do _you_ want to have children, Vi?”

“I don’t know where I stood on it before, but…part of me really wants to be a mother, even if I’m not sure I’d be any good at it. Having a family with you sounds very nice to me, royal bloodline or not, but I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”

“I see. Thank you for being honest with me. I’ll think on it. Until then, remember to think unsexy thoughts, darling wife.”

“Just you wait! One of these days, I’m going to seduce the pants off of you! Ahh! What am I even _saying_?”

Chrom laughed loudly and fully. “That’s usually how it gets done, yes.” She was even warmer than before when she leaned into him again. “That’ll be a _very_ good day. I look forward to it.”

She looked up at him. “…Really?”

“Really! I want to see what you come up with!”

Her smile was so genuine his heart almost burst. “I love you so, so much!”

 “I love you just as much. I’m glad you came to me, Vi. I’ll sleep much better knowing that you’re right here.”

“Do you get scared at night, too?”

“I’m always nervous before a big battle like this, but that’s our secret, okay?”

“Okay, _now_ I’m going to sleep. I can think about a bunch of happy unknowns in the future instead of all the scary unknowns of my past.”

“Can you maybe… do something for me?”

“What’s that, love?”

“Will you sing for me?”

“Ah… if it’s just for you then… anything you want to hear?”

“Whatever strikes you.”

The song she chose sounded like a lullaby, he couldn’t understand most of it because it was in Plegian, but he was able to catch some little words. He’d been learning He fell asleep to the sound of her voice and the warmth of her body next to his.

*

"Couldn't sleep?" Sully asked as she turned to see Stahl enter the tent.

"No. I started thinking about tomorrow and-" Stahl said with a yawn as he began to settle in.

"You know this isn't allowed, right? I never thought you'd be the type to sneak into a lady's tent."

"I know, but... I wanted to see you. Besides, I'm not going to do anything, I just... _wait_ a second! We’re married now! Or am I in some weird dream? Oh no! This is one of _those_ dreams isn’t it?"

Sully smirked. "Had you going there for a sec, didn’t I?"

Stahl sighed. “I think I’m losing my mind because of worry.”

Sully kissed the top of Stahl's head and messed with his hair. "It’s okay. You just get as cuddly as you want. Nothing bad is going to happen to me, or to you, for that matter. I'll make sure of it. I mean, we’re just guarding the base.”

“Still, what if we get ambushed by magic users? Oh no, my stomach is hurting again.”

“Then one of my three weapons of choice will be up someone’s ass. Honestly, you're like a big kitten rather than a panther. If you’re not careful, you’ll get gassy again.” Sully rubbed his stomach. “Relax your inner demons."

"…Sorry."

"I never said that was a bad thing. You can be a kitten as much a s you want when we're not fighting.” Sully kissed him fiercely. “I still love you, you big lug.”

“We are still married, though, right?”

“Libra did it, so it’d better count for something. Thanks for putting up with my requests to keep it simple. I was never big on the whole wedding deal.”

“I know, even if it was just in front of our friends, I was still so nervous! I would have never guessed we would be the first to get married in our group. You looked fantastic in that new armor though, really gallant!”

 Sully nuzzled him. “You didn’t look so bad yourself, Mr. Paladin.”

“I’m so proud of how far you’ve come, and I can’t wait to see how much farther you’ll go. If anyone can, it’s you, Sully.”

“You better keep up with me, hub. I’ll starve without you.”

“True, your cooking is on par with Chrom and Vaike.”

“I meant emotionally, Stahl, but your cooking _is_ something else. You’re a keeper, that’s for sure.”

*

 Panne’s ears twitched at the sound of the stable door opening. “Hello, husband.”

“Heh, I thought I’d find you in here with the horses and pegusai,” Lon’qu said. He sat beside her in the hay.

“Won’t you get cold if you stay in here with me?”

“The cold is fine; you’ve got fur, after all.”

“How did your match go with your old master?”

“Well, Wu’kan has not changed much in all these years, though he does seem happier now.”

“He sounded impressed with you. I am always proud of your strength, Lon’qu. It will be good for the kits. I fear they will be timid once they know there are no more of us.”

Lon’qu blushed deeply. “Of course you could hear us from this distance. I… picked out a house near here where we can… settle.”

“Did you now? Wonderful. This location is ideal. You may work for the khans as you please, and if Chrom and Viola need us in the future, it will not take me long to travel to them.”

Lon’qu grinned. “My thoughts exactly. Are you absolutely sure about taking to the battlefield tomorrow?”

“I will not die. I am far too fast. If for some reason things do get dire, I will still come back to you. Viola promised me.”

“Good. I’d rather _not_ have to kill Viola if something happened to you. Gods, I _knew_ she looked familiar to me on that first night. It’s a good thing she lost her memory. If she knew about the time I lead her back to her house when we were little. Wu’kan brought it up after our match and… UGH!”

“I’m sure you were a cute kit, Lon’qu,” Panne said as she settled across his lap.

 Lon’qu’s hand hovered gently over her head before falling into a steady rhythm. “Others don’t need to know that!”

*

Sumia paced about the kitchen. Was he even coming?

 “Hello, Sumia. What was it you wanted to speak to me about?” Frederick said as he ducked into the small space.

“Well… I, uh, here!”

“You wanted to give me a pie? Whatever for?”

“For taking care of my arm. It’s made from the berries Donny and Kellem have growing in storage. I made plenty for everyone in camp, of course, but I wanted to make one… just for you…”

“Would you like to share it with me?”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“I insist. Here, allow me to take your arm for a moment. I don’t trust that you won’t trip and worsen your condition in this darkness. I would clear away the pebbles and twigs myself, but I cannot see well in the dark. We can use the table outside.”

“You’re probably right. Oh no! I’d never ask you to do that for my sake!”

“True, you never would, but I am happy to be able to keep you safe.”

She waited to see what he thought after the first bite.

“Mmm, this pie is wonderful!”

“Thank you…” she took a bite herself. “Oh, it is good! I’m glad!”

“Is something the matter? You don’t seem you usual self.”

“I just… I can’t even say what I want the most….”

“Is it perhaps, your armor? I did not intend to keep it from you as a punishment or anything. It was just so filthy after that Warp incident, I thought it needed a good polishing. I’ll go get it for you.”

“Ah Frederick, it’s so shiny! I love…”

“What was that?” he asked.

“I love _you_!” she almost shouted.

Frederick smiled warmly. “Is that what you truly wanted to say this whole time?”

“Yes! Oh, gods above! I bet the whole camp heard me!”

“I was just thinking back to when you first joined. You could never say what was on your mind. You’ve grown so much since then.”

“Have I grown enough for you to believe that I’m not settling for you? I never _ever_ want you to feel like you are just a replacement for my crush! I really, really, love you! I made a list of reasons and everything! See?”

“Ah, Viola helped you make this list, didn’t she?”

“She helped me… so I wouldn’t lose my nerve, but you haven’t answered me yet.”

Frederick bent down and kissed her hand. “Though I have sworn my life to Chrom and Lissa, my love shall forever belong to you. Is that an acceptable answer?”

Sumia all but crashed into him when she hugged him. “Yes!”

“Ah, please watch out for the pointy bits of armor.”

“We can serve our future King and Queen together! This means I can keep my promise to Vi and stay beside her forever too!”

“Ah, speaking of, no sudden breezes, that’s a good sign.”

“He’d go flying if she meant to Wind him. She’d probably send him straight to you.”

“You are not concerned about their… arrangement?”

“No way. They both need the sleep more than anything. I think if you tried to keep them separate, that’d have been worse. Ack!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

“You really do love me?” Sumia asked softly.

“Of course I do. You’ve had a place in my heart ever since that day when you helped me learn how to ride my first horse.”

“But that was years ago!”

“Truthfully, I didn’t realize I loved you until recently.”

“The warp incident?”

“Yes. When Tharja said what might befall you if you were captured by the enemy, it made me realize just how important you were to me. I was sick that I could not be there to help defend you if you were indeed ambushed.”

“I wasn’t worried about that sort of thing. Still, I think it’s sweet that you want to be my knight, too.”

*

Lissa made her way back to her tent. Maribelle had invited Ricken over for tea tonight. She was going to give her proposal of merging houses until they could properly marry in a few years when they both came of age. Lissa didn’t want to interrupt that. Maribelle had worked very hard on drafting the proper documentation.

She heard the voice of Tielle as she passed by the tents.

“ _I’m_ going to carry this baby, thank you! I don’t trust you not to get stabbed at least once in nine months. Tell you what, if we decide to have a second one after everything has settled, you can birth that one, deal?”

“Deal,” said Runa’s voice.

“Oo! I don’t mean to pry, but are you looking up conception magic?” Lissa asked.

“Heck yes we are!” Runa said. “Come on in! We were just deciding who was going to be the carrying Mama. Do you know much about it, Princess? Sit down and chat with us, please! We might ask you for your help again.”

“Not too much, but I’d love to learn more. I do know it’s a lot easier to make a spell or magical implement for two ladies like yourself. It’s harder for two guys because they don’t have the right… parts for a natural birth, there _are_ spells that can change that, but they can go really wrong and kill both parent and child, but I’ve also heard there are special flasks that can mimic a womb, but they’re insanely expensive since they’re so hard to produce.”

“Huh. You know a bit, don’t you?” Runa said with a grin.

Lissa blushed. “I love babies and children so much! I don’t want to deny anyone the right to have them, not if I have the knowledge and skills to help them do it.” She smiled warmly. “Libra has been talking about wanting to start and orphanage for all the orphans on both sides of this conflict, and I think that’s wonderful! I want to help him make it real.”

“Heh, then you can be a mama to all sorts of kids. I think you’d be great at it.”

Lissa beamed. “You really think so?”

*

“Yo Miriel, you going to be okay?” Vaike asked. He was the first one on watch that night.

“I don’t see why I wouldn’t be,” Miriel remarked, not looking up from her notes.

“Well, I heard ya didn’t get the cool thing from the demon beast, and then Viola goes and picks you to fight anyway. Doesn’t make much sense to ol’ Teach.”

“I was not compatible with the Galeforce talent, but I did gain something else quite useful from the creature dubbed Boo. Observe.”

Miriel cast a spell on a nearby tree. It sucked the life out of it and called it back to her.

Vaike whistled.

“It’s called Lifetaker. I am not worried in the slightest.”

“Don’t show that to Tharja,” Vaike said.

“I have no need; she learned it for herself.”

Vaike gulped. “You take care of yourself, alright? Teach won’t be there to watch you back. He’s on guard duty.”

“I am not worried for myself. Viola chose me for a reason.”

“Yeah, but she also chose Ricken.”

“That’s because Ricken refused to leave Maribelle’s side when Viola nominated her. Viola only agreed to let him come under the _strict_ condition that he stay with her and help her with the healing and rescuing.”

“Here, take this, okay? Keep it on you if you need it. Squishy mage an all.”

Miriel adjusted her glasses. Vaike had given her a vulnerary. “Thank you. This could save my life.”

“I sure hope you don’t have to use it.”

Miriel paused. Odd. Vaike’s behavior was changing drastically lately. Further observation was needed. But for now, there was only thoughts of war.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle against Gangrel is on!

“Lissa, what are you doing?” Chrom asked, noticing his sister wall pulling a cardboard booth across the stone steps of their camp.

“It’s a kissing booth for Vi’s protective spells!” Lissa said.

“ _What_?” Viola said. She immediately hid behind Chrom. “I-I’m sure nobody really wants them… I mean… it didn’t… work last time…”

“Darling, there’s a line forming already,” Maribelle remarked. “I will go push the scallywags who just want free kisses away.”

Viola paused. “Huh? Well, I suppose even if it’s just a placebo… Chrom, are you okay with this?”

“You’ll just be kissing them on the forehead, right?”

Viola nodded. “Of course. I might do cheek kisses, for people like Mustafa, maybe some nose kisses, but no on the mouth kisses. You’re my only on the mouth kiss.”

“That’s fine by me, if your fine with giving them. I want one, too, but I’ll wait until you get everyone else.”

Viola smiled. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips. “I still love you most.”

“I know, and the spells _do_ work. They’ve worked on Panne and myself before. So, if they can help someone else on our side stay safe, then it’s worth it. I’m going to go find your dad for one last training session to work off my nerves.”

“Do your best!”

“You know I will!”

Lissa eyed Viola playfully once Chrom was out of sight. She sat next to her in the cheaply made booth. “So, how did it go?”

“Last night? Fine. We talked, and decided we weren’t going to take that step yet, so no juicy stories for you. I _will_ freely admit that that was the best night of sleep I’ve had in ages, though.”

“Ah, so he told you he doesn’t want a family just yet? That’s good. He was sort of scared to tell you that.”

“I’m glad he did, and I’m going to respect that for as long as he wishes.”

Between Lissa giving her water, and Tharja and Maribelle acting as creeper guards, Viola managed to bestow protective kisses on all of the Shepherds, and about half of the rescued Plegian members

“I know you’re probably sick of kissing people, but can I have one, too? For luck?” Lissa asked shyly.

Viola rested her forehead against Lissa’s. “You are not delicate, Lissa. You’re very strong in your own way, and I admire you so much for that kind strength.” Viola then kissed the tip of her nose. “Please give me your very best today. Assuming we don’t die, I want to share some cake and tea with you after you all march home!”

Lissa hugged Viola so hard she pinned her to the ground. “I’m going to find the best chocolate cake in the whole Haildom to share with you when we beat that loser! You’re going to stay with us in the castle once we march back, right? You can be in my room with me until you get married, so you don’t have to sleep by yourself!”

“Both of those ideas sound lovely. I’ll take you up on them.”

Both Maribelle and Tharja wanted one, too.

Viola paused after kissing Tharja on the nose. “Henry isn’t with Gangrel’s current unit, right?”

“I don’t sense him in there, no. I actually haven’t been able to trace him for ages. I know he’s alive, but he doesn’t seem to want to be found.”

“That sounds about right. What about Rayner?”

“Oh, you remember him now?” Tharja asked with a smile.

“I was thinking about Algol last night, which scared the bejeesus out of me, and then, something Rayner said popped into my head before I really fell asleep. He was kind to me, right?”

“He was, yes. He had a soft spot for you, because you were so young when we were all drafted, and then promoted so early. Part of the reason we did so well when things got rough was because Mr. Tall, Magically-Gifted, and Handsome was on our side as the entire cavalry.”

“Yeah, he was a great distraction while those of us in the back!” Telle said. “He’d weaken the enemy with his magic, and then I’d pick them off with my arrows.”  

“He was still active in the army when Grant and I made our escape, right? Runa, Telle, do either of you know what happened to him after that?”

“He disappeared shortly after the whole Emmeryn incident, actually,” Telle said.

Viola paused. “What? But he was one of the best Dark Knights in the army! So wait, Gangrel doesn’t have him either?”

“Yeah, but, here’s the thing, he went on a scouting mission near Traitor’s Way and then… just never came back. Spooky, right?” Runa remarked. “Personally, I think he booked it after she… you know… because continuing to fight after an action like that went against his personal code, so he booked it like we did while Gangrel was neck deep in that gluttony curse. Which, by the way, Tharja, lovely work as always.”

“Hehehehe, I’m so glad you noticed. I always give Viola my very best!”

Viola nuzzled Tharja’s nose. “I know you do! And I love you for it!” She paused. “I guess that does sound like him. He never liked one-sided fights, and by all accounts, that’s what it was. I suppose it’s good that we don’t have to face him. I don’t know if I could kill him if I had to, and if he thinks we’ve given up, then that means a lot of others will be just as surprised that we got a second wind.”

“Maribelle and I are with your team, right?” Lissa asked.

Viola took a deep breath. “Right, I want our healers to be with me until we can get my plan in motion. I’m taking my team now so we can scout and set up our recovery space if we do end up using the Rescue staves. Tharja, can you help me tell Gregor, Libra, Gaius, Runa, Telle, Panne, and Oliva that we’re marching in a few minutes? I’m going to say my goodbyes first, so if you need to, do the same.”

“Shall we go as well and make sure that cute little cabin you picked out is still safe for us to borrow?” Tiki asked with a smile.

“Go for it,” Viola said. “We’ll be there soon.”

Nowi jumped up excitedly. “Yes! Nowi is ready to kick major tail!”

“No major kicking of tails until Gregor and others get there! Little kickings is fine, but major will blow cover, and ruin well-laid plan,” Gregor said, jogging up to them. “Thank you for the receiving of message, Tharja!”

Viola grinned. “That was quick.”

Tharja smiled. “You do like your results.”

Nowi pouted. “Fine, but when I can-!”

“Nowi will be very amazing, yes! Gregor has no doubting of that.”

 “That’s the spirit!” Tiki said. Grant comfortably held on to her. Though, he did hide his face a little. “I’m sorry, darling; I never mean to embarrass you when I carry you like this.”

“It’s not that. I just like to listen to your heart before you take off. If I have something soothing me, I don’t get as nervous when we’re flying.”

“You’ve improved so much since that first time I took you. Ready?”

Grant held tighter to her neck. “Ready.”

Viola watched as they took off.

“Viola!”

“Yes, Chrom?”

“I’m so glad I caught you before you marched!”

“I was going to come and find you before we left! How did training with Dad go?”

“Good. I feel… surprisingly okay about all this. Oh, right, Wu’kan said he and Valoria are going to stay in Ferox for the time being. Depending on how this goes, they may move again to be closer to you and Grant after the baby is born.”

“I wonder if Grant said anything to them before he and Tiki left?”

“Ah, I asked Wu’kan, and he said it was better not to.”

“Right… Mom hates goodbyes. I remember that now. I guess that means we’ll have to try even harder to come back alive!”

Chrom laughed a little. “That’s right!” He picked her up held her tightly. “Be safe, my love. We’ll join up with you as soon as we’re ready.”

“I will, I promise.”

*

It was a very cautious and quiet ride to the cabin near the abandoned town by Plegia’s castle. It was said that Algol used the citizens for his experiments back in the day, and not a soul had lived there since. It made the perfect place to hide in plain sight and prepare while Chrom marched with the decoy forces some ways away.

Grant and Libra were working on drawing a large healing circle.

All the talk of ghost made Lissa obviously nervous. “Libra! If there are any ghost you’ll zap them with prayer magic, right?”

“Prayer magic does not exist, I’m sorry to say, but I will protect you with all of my strength, dear princess.”

“Count me in too, Lissa,” Grant said. He bit his hand, causing a small trickle of blood to well at his thumb. He slid his thumb across the door and windows. His blood absorbed into where it touched.

“Grant!” Libra cried.

“What? I’ve got this power, I might as well use it to protect us!”

Tiki merely kissed Grant’s wounded hand. “Better?”

Grant blushed. “Yes, thank you.”

“Tiki and Nowi, you’re our defense until Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds get here,” Viola said. “Don’t transform unless you absolutely have to. I’d hate to ruin the lovely surprise.”

Panne, and Telle came back from their scouting mission with much needed intel.

“Of course he’d use the mages. They move the best in this sand,” Viola muttered. “Alright, Runa, Gaius, do your thiefy things. You remembered your Rescues?”

“Yes, boss,” Gaius said.

“Oliva, you’ll go with them.”

“R-right!”

“Don’t worry, babe,” Gaius said as he put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle rub. “Runa and I won’t let anything happen to you. Cookie for your nerves?”

“T-thanks.” Oliva took a bite. “Oh my! Did you bake these?”

Gaius grinned. “You bet I did! Are they better than the last batch I gave you?”

“Much better!”

“Here, Bubbles, you take one too, you’re shaking pretty badly.”

Viola nibbled on the cookie. “Sorry…”

“Nah, it’s okay if you’re nervous, this _is_ kind of big,” He glanced back at Oliva expectantly. “To tell you the truth, I’m a little nervous as well.”

Viola looked back at Gaius. She had a guess as to what he was planning.

“THERE’S A RING IN THIS COOKIE?” Oliva gasped. She pulled it out and examined it over and over.

“Would you look at that,” Gaius said, obviously pretending he had nothing to do with it. “Wonder how that got in there?”

“Did you-?” Oliva began.

 Gaius nodded. “I did.”

Olivia blushed deeply. “You really-?”

“I do; very much.”

“But I’m just…”

“You’re not ‘just’! You’re great!”

“I-I I think you’re great, too! P-please continue to cook with me for the rest of my life! B-being with you in the kitchen makes me so happy. I… I don’t want that to end when the war does!”

“It won’t, and I’ll make sure nothing happens to you during this. I promise. So please, dance your wonderful dance, and help us free the captives he has in there. I’ll give you as many cookie as you want when we’re done, okay?”

“O-okay!”

Viola smiled. She figured something like that was going on between them. Gaius always seemed to sneak into the kitchen even more than he already did when Olivia was on cooking duty. When Viola asked if she was okay with it, Olivia said she was, and that they were taste-testing buddies. They were teaching each other how to make new and different dishes. Sometime later, Gaius had asked Olivia for a dance lesson and she in turn, asked for a sewing lesson.

Gah! Watching them made be all sweet and cute made her miss Chrom!

Please let nothing have happened to him…

Focus!

“Gregor, you are ready as my backup muscles, yes?”

“Worry not! Gregor is on job! You still want with the no killing?”

“Yes. No killing.”

“Oy, fine! Good thing Gregor likes little Viola.”

“Viola likes Gregor, too! She trusts him very much!” she said with a grin. Well, at least that put a smile on his face.

 “Chrom is on his way here, Viola, I can hear them approaching,” Panne said. She had gone full Taguel for her search around the perimeter.

“Thank you!” Viola said. “May I give you a ‘good job’ pat?”

Panne brought herself lower to the ground. “Yes, thank you for asking. And if you could scratch behind my ears, too.”

“You really are amazing. Thanks for everything, Panne. I’m hoping this will be the end of it.”

“I will stay with you until your nerves calm.”

“Thank you. I know as a leader, I should be calmer, but… nothing I remember about him or this place brings me anything but pain and I keep thinking, what if it’s not enough to bring him down?”

“Isn’t that why we are stopping him?”

“Yes.”

“Then we will be fine.” Panne said gently.

 When Chrom arrived at the cabin, Viola jumped into his arms. “I’m so glad you made it!”  

 Chrom rubbed her back. “That was a surprisingly easy march. No resistance whatsoever.”

“I’m glad!”

“Any problems setting up?

“No, we’re all set on this end!”

 “You’re shaking,” Chrom remarked softly.

“I know. Some leader I turned out to be, right?”

“I know, casting high level spells based on terrain, negotiating with and standing up to people twice your size, and so many clever ideas that I’ve lost count of all of them. That’s some leader, all right.”

“How do you do that?” Viola asked as she leaned her head against his chest.

 He kissed the top of her head. “You have your talents and I have mine.”  

“Okay! Enough doubting! Deep breaths,” They both took three deep breaths. “One more protective kiss because I love you so, so much.”

“Hand?” Chrom asked holding out his hand.

Viola took it and held it tightly. “Let’s do this!”

*

When they approached the castle, Gangrel had a look on his face like he was expecting them, but not actually thinking they would show up. “Well, well, well, look who’s back.”

"From one gutter rat to another, stop this. Gangrel! You've lost your war," Viola called.

"I haven't lost anything yet!" Gangrel spat.

"Oh, are you sure? It seems to me you've lost a lot of toy soldiers recently. That's all we ever were to you, right?"

Gangrel laughed. "That’s rich coming from someone who has gotten into bed with the enemy prince! You’re nothing but a who-"

"-ibble news my King! Horrible news!" said an aide as he ran up to the king. “Someone snuck into our ranks and is setting the reserve mages free!”

“ _What_? Where are they?”

“We don’t know! They’re just… vanishing!”

Viola looked at the forces still beside their king. “Stand down! I don’t want to kill anyone if I don’t have to! Gangrel alone has to answer for his crimes! If you are truly loyal to his ideals, be prepared to fight for them!”

When Gangrel stepped forward, not many stood with him. Most had stayed where they stood and waited for a Rescue staff to pull them out of harm’s way.

Gangrel glared at her. “ _You did this._ Little witch! I’ll string you up and feed you to any beast that wants a taste of your flesh! The crows will be the least of your worries!”

Chrom gently moved Viola behind him. “This fight is between you and me!”

Gangrel smiled then. “Ah, I see. A duel, then? Fine! Come, princeling! I've sharpened my sword just for you!”

“My sister wished for our people to know peace, Gangrel. But as long as you draw breath, it can never come,” Chrom took a deep breath. “For Ylisse!”

Their weapons clashed. The sword Gangrel used was a strange piece of twisted metal that sparked every time it made contact, even against the spear Chrom had.

That was probably the sword Viola talked about that killed people with lightening.

“Too slow!” Gangrel said.

Gangrel’s jagged sword got caught on something before it reached Chrom’s neck. A blast of Wind magic pushed the sword away, but the pendent and chain hung on the edge of the blade.

Gangrel paused to look at it. “What the? Where did you get this hideous hunk of metal?”

“Give that back to me!” Chrom snapped.

“ _Oh_ I see now. Did _she_ make this for you? To _protect_ you? Gag me. She’s just using you to get back at me. She was too weak to do anything herself, so she clung to you for your power and status. Whatever you think you have with her is a lie. When all is said and done, you’ll die alone! I will make sure of it!”

The sword began to glow.

Before Chrom could call out to her, a blast of lightening magic jutted out from the sword’s edge. When the smoke cleared, Viola was still standing, but all the soldiers around her had disappeared.

Chrom gritted his teeth. “Get. Out. Of. My. Sight!”

Chrom felt the impact of his spear as it jabbed into Gangrel. The Mad King’s eyes bulged.

And then, he went flying.

Chrom shaded his eyes with his hand as he watched Gangrel. “Wow, he was actually _way_ weaker than fighting with Wu’kan. Look at him go!”

Still, when Chrom dropped to his knees, his laughter was ragged.

“Vi?” He called.

Viola ran over to him. “You okay, Chrom?”

“Yeah. Are you? He didn’t hit you with that lightning, did he?”

“No, I deflected it with my own Elthunder spell.”

“Oh, thank the gods, you noticed.”

“Warping everyone else out of the way and into the cabin was another matter.”

“Ah, so _that’s_ what you did.”

“I’m exhausted and my insides feel like they were churned, but, yeah… I did it.”

Viola vomited then.

“You used too much magic again, didn’t you?”

“Says the man who put so much force behind that spear blow, you shot our ex-king into the stratosphere! You can’t exactly stand up right now, either.” Another round of vomit.

“Were you impressed?”

“Of course I’m impressed! I’ve never seen a man fly so far by sheer force alone!  Permission to flop on you?”

Chrom spread his arms out to catch her. “Granted. You did put on quite a magic show back there.”

“Nothing says ‘don’t mess with me’ quite like a big ol’ spell.” Viola sighed warmly. ”We did it, my love.”

“It came at a high price to be sure, but this is for the better of both countries, right?”

“Are we going to try to find his body?”

“We’ve made our point. If he survives that fall, which I doubt, we’ll handle it.”

“Besides, Emmeryn wouldn’t want us to kill him, right?”

“Right. I don’t care if others think I’m weak. If he’s alive, he’s out of Plegia now.”

“You’re not weak at all. I love your strength, and your compassion. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice one for the other.”

“I am _so_ happy I get to keep you with me for the rest of my life.”

“You took the words out of my mouth. Now we actually have a chance to grow old together! Ugh, I hope the cavalry remembers to pick us up.”

“And ruin this lovely moment we’re having baking in the sun together?”

“I smell like vomit, and you’re sweaty, but I guess it’s good we’re alive. Oh, no, don’t smooch me! I’m gross!”

“I still love you, even when you’re gross.”

“I’ll believe you because it’s you. Good thing you’re still really comfy even when you’re sweaty.”

Chrom sighed.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

Chrom twiddled the pendent and twisted chain between his fingers. “That bastard ruined it. It was such a thoughtful present, too.”

“Oh, don’t be sad! I can reshape it easily! What matters is that it kept you alive. Do you want a different pendant shape this time?”

“Why? I liked your brand design.”

“It’s not too… corny?”

“No way! Why would you think that?”

“Well, Virion said that it was a little strange to see the symbol on your body twice, so I thought... I don’t know, it was too gaudy? Sorry, I’m worrying again. Oh, hey, Chrom, what’s a ‘whowha?’ Have you heard that word before?”

Chrom laughed so hard it hurt to breathe. “I think he meant to say a more degrading word towards you, but got distracted, sweetheart.”

“Ooooh. Okay, that makes way more sense.”

“There you two are!” Lissa said as she came up on her horse.

“Princess, you take your brother and I’ll keep Lady Viola with me,” Frederick said.

“No, Frederick, give me back my wife,” Chrom said

“I’m sorry, milord, but until we can properly spread the news of your engagement to the courts, you’ll have to keep your distance from Lady Viola. There will be enough rumors as it is when we come back with her. Keep in mind, she’s not actually you wife yet, _right_?”

“Damn technicality,” Chrom muttered.

“It sounds as if it’s the last kiss I can give you for a while,” Viola said. “I hope I washed my mouth out enough.”

She kissed him on the mouth.

“Aww, that one was the best one yet!”

“Really?”

“Really.”

 Frederick sighed. “Fine, you may exchange one more.”

When they got back to the cabin, a  young mage kissed her at the very edge of her nose. “Thank you for saving us, Daughter of the Dragon.”

Viola froze. “Eh? That was me this _whole time_? Why didn’t you say anything, Grant?”

“You were already chasing one shadow of your past, you didn’t need this one looming over you as well, but the people always knew who they bestowed the name to,” Grant said with a smile.

Frederick nodded. “To think that all those setbacks were caused by the same woman who helped us win the same war.”

“Were they bad?” Viola asked

“No, just annoying. And a bit confusing, because we never lost any forces, just time and supplies,” Frederick smiled. “Come along my lady. We must tell your parents of this development, and then we’ll make the march for home.”

“Speaking of home, Tiki and I will be going back to Naga’s temple now,” Grant cut in. “It’s not far from Ylisse, so I’ll come and visit you all the time, okay?”

Viola nodded. “I’d like that. Tiki is always welcome, too.”

“Thank you, Viola, but right now all I want is to take a nice long nap in my husband’s arms.”

“You and me both,” Viola said. “But apparently, we’re using technicalities now.”

Tiki smiled. “You will make a great queen, Viola.”

That caught her off guard, she’d been so preoccupied with staying alive, she’d completely forgotten that now she and Chrom were going to be going into a completely different challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look! The end of part 1! I'm going to do a couple of extra chapters before I begin the next part involving the two year time skip. They'll be involving the actual restructure of the Haildom after Emmeryn's passing.
> 
> You have no idea how close Rayner got to getting his own play through. I'm thinking of doing a little sub-series about him and what happened to make him leave, if you couldn't already guess.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading! I never expected this thing so have as many readers as it does!


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally back in Ylisse, Chrom wastes no time letting the cat out of the bag.

Viola spent most of the ride back to Ylisse sleeping in the convoy. Frederick had put her there after she almost fell out of the saddle while she rode with him. It was a little lonely being the only one back there, but it was quiet.

They had actually won against the Mad King. Aside, from some bumps, bruises, and burns, no one had been seriously injured. It almost seemed too good to be true, but everyone had come a long way since those early days after Chrom had found her. One of the things she truly loved about being a Shepherd was how much they could trust and depend on one another, and bring out their very best. Would that still continue now that there was no war to fight?

Perhaps it was the shadows that danced around her, but she feared the simple days of traveling and training were long past her. Now, she and Chrom had to fight a different kind of battle. That is… if he still wanted to fight it with her at his side.

Her hazy eyes caught glimpse of the signet ring that hung around her neck. She didn’t want to wear it around her finger before the public of the haildom just yet. She was not going to wait until the public fully accepted her, but rather, she wanted to hear what Chrom had to say to his people first. She would follow whatever front he wanted to put up.

What if her purpose had already been served?

She felt her face get smacked against the wooden floor when the convoy hit a bump.

Perhaps the universe was trying to tell her to calm down, and actually take a nap while she could.

*

She awoke to a gentle kiss on the lips.

“There’s my sleeping beauty!” Chrom said with a grin as he picked her up. “We’re home!”

“Oh?” Viola rubbed her eyes. “Now that we’re back, what are we going to do?”

“Let’s start the introductions, shall we? I don’t want to hide our relationship.”

Lissa grinned at them. She was standing beside the convoy. “Oh! In that case, I’ll distract Frederick for you! I’ve got some places to go, and people to see now that we’re home. Good luck, big brother! Viola, I’m going to want the details later, okay?”

Viola nodded. “Okay.”

“Oh! I know! Let’s have a tea party in my room later!”

“Ooo! With snacks?”

“I was going to stop by the baker and get some fresh pastries! Do you want anything specific?”

“Chocolate or jam-filled are my favorites, but anything is fine.”

“Okay! You better put her down before Frederick notices”

Lissa waved Frederick down. “Frederick! Help me run some errands!”

Frederick walked his horse slowly past them. His eyes were not amused. “I’ll be back shortly.”

“Are you sure now’s a good time to-Ack!” Viola felt herself get lifted again. “What am I, a sack of flour?”

“It’ll be faster if I just book it!”

Well, once the scenery stopped being a blur, she noticed a large group of people was already congregating towards the castle. Once they were close, he put her down. They walked side by side, hands connected just barely, by the tips of their fingers.

“Who is that girl?” was whispered a lot.

 “For those of you asking, this is Viola! You all have heard of her by this point, right? She’s the girl I found from Plegia who bravely crossed the border to try to stop Gangrel’s war. Emmeryn must have said some things about her. She came back here with us shortly after Lissa and I found her; it was when those raiders came, remember?”

There were definite murmurs of agreement among the crowd. Had her name really spread throughout the haildom?

“H-hello,” Viola said, trying not to hide behind Chrom as they walked. “It’s good to be back here.”

Chrom was grinning from ear to ear. “She’s the Shepherd’s wonderfully talented tactician! There’s no way we would have been able to hold off Gangrel’s army, much less defeat Gangrel himself, without all of her help. Be nice to her, okay? She still doesn’t know a lot about herself because of that curse Gangrel put on anyone who tried to get out of Plegia during the war, because of it, she lost a lot of her memories.” 

More murmurs, this time about how cruel that curse was.

It was cruel. She hated that she lost so much of herself over one choice, but at the same time, she didn’t regret it.

“That’s nice, but… what intentions do you have with bringing this girl back to the castle with you?” Judging by his dress, the speaker must have been a noble.

“My intentions? Well, I want her to get settled in with life at the castle, first of all. It should be obvious that I want to have her continue to be my advisor and strategist, but to be honest, I’m going to marry her!”

He didn’t even blink over it! No waiver in his voice, nothing! He sounded excited, even happy!

Still, the prolonged silence of the crowd after he said it unnerved her. She actually did manage to sneak behind his legs, just in case.

“B-but you said yourself she’s from Plegia! Why would you-? Wait, where did she go?”

Chrom kept walking. “So? She’s proven her worth to me and, everyone I care about time and time again. Are you saying I should have just _blindly_ believed all the things that my father taught me about the people of Plegia, even when encountering a real person who was struggling just as much under her king as we were?” She gently grabbed his palm and gave it a squeeze. Once they were at the castle gate, Chrom stopped walking. She adjusted herself to still be behind him.

Even though she could not see it, she felt Chrom smile at her. “She’s very shy in front of large crowds.”

That was an understatement.

“I know it must sound sudden to all of you, saying I’ve fallen in love with a girl, and a foreigner no less, but… things have changed. My sister, Emmeryn is dead, and I left many thoughts and feelings unsaid to her. I took for granted that she would always be in my life, that I would have ample time to discuss things with her, and learn and grow at my own pace. I… don’t have that luxury anymore.”

Viola weaved her fingers into his and kissed them.

Chrom sighed, but it was warm. “It will be a heavy burden for me, but I will bear it. I will be the best ruler I can be. In return, please allow me to love whom I choose. This fun, smart, shy, wonderful, woman, makes me very happy. I don’t want to hide my love for her from anyone just because she’s from Plegia. I want her to be able to stand beside me as my equal.”

Viola pressed her head against his back. She was glad for the shelter, she hated crying in front of others.

“Sire, what about the Mad King? Where _is_ King Gangrel now?”

Good, yes, change the subject.

“I …actually don’t know! He flew pretty far away when I jabbed him with my spear! He’s out of Plegia, anyway!”

Laughter.

Okay, now that they were laughing and her eyes felt less puffy, maybe she could come out again. Using Chrom’s hand to guide her she gently stepped out beside him.

 He was still beaming at her when she reemerged. “We made it through the war because she was beside me. Wouldn’t you want to do everything you could to be with the person who brought out the best in you? That’s what she’s always done for me, ever since I met her, and I really, really love her! So, I want her as my wife!”

He did that on purpose!

“I don’t… I don’t want to be apart from you either! I know you may think I’m just following him like a lost puppy, but my feelings are not just because of all he’s done for me since finding me! I genuinely love who he is! He’s kind, and strong, and he always knows how to cheer me up. So, I… hope you’ll accept me! Everyone in the Shepherds has been so kind to me and... I want to do my best for this wonderful place they call home.”

To her immense surprise, a large portion of the crowd ended up cheering.

“MILORD!”

That was undoubtedly Frederick’s yell. He must have known something was fishy.

Chrom made a face. “ _What_? I announced it properly, didn’t I? We’re not taking it back! She’s my fiancée now, and that’s that!”

The crowd parted as Frederick rode up to the gate.

“We will have _words_ , milord,” he said. He rode past the now open gate.

Their hands still connected, Chrom and Viola followed.

 “Did I sound okay to you?” Chrom asked. asked. “You know, royal enough?”

Viola nodded. “Yeah. You sounded great! You were honest, but also authoritative. You can’t win over everyone in the haildom, but I thought you did a really good job with that approach. I’m sorry I hid.”

“That’s okay! You still held my hand and supported me as I spilled my guts to my people. Those gestures meant the world to me, Vi. I’d be scared of that big crowd too, if our roles were reversed. I can’t imagine Plegia preconceived notions of my people are any kinder. I’m only sorry I made you cry.”

“I wasn’t upset! I was really touched! You said such nice things about me in front of all those people!”

“Get used to it, sweetheart. If I have my way, the whole haildom is going to know just how much I love and admire you, even if they don’t like our courtship!” Chrom paused. “Oh, yeah! That means I can do this again!”

He bent down and kissed her lips. She leaned up to return it.

“Ah, I missed your kisses.”

“I missed yours, too.”

That was it then, they were engaged. She took the ring off the chain and put it on her finger.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is still some backlash.

It did not take Viola long to see a good portion of the haildom still had their reservations about her.

“GODS ABOVE! NOT THIS AGAIN!” Chrom all but yelled while they were out for their morning walk. He quickly tore down a poster from the wall.

“Ah so you finally noticed those,” Viola said with a small grin. She had noticed them a few streets ago, but didn’t want to make a fuss over them.

 Chrom blushed. “I am so sorry, Vi! I mean, I expected some things to pop up since our engagement, but I never thought they’d do images like _this_!”

“Let me see how risqué they are. Huh. I will give the artist credit for being tasteful with the nudity. The proportions leave a lot to be desired. Though, that might be intentional. I mean, look at Falchion in the corner and then look at your… _other_ sword. I know for a fact you’re not that long.”

Chrom gave her a playful look. “I _knew_ you looked before you put that steam up. Oh, you’re right. It looks like I could kill a man with either at that length, and actually, your body doesn’t look right either. Hold on.” He fumbled around in his bag for a moment.

“Your map?” Viola asked.   

Chrom paused for a moment while he worked. “Ha! I knew it Look!”

 Viola crouched over the sprawled-out map. “So Ylisse is one boob, and Plegia is the other, and you’re grabbing at both of them. Hmm, sounds like someone is worried about the state of things, even with Gangrel being dethroned. Like father like son, as the saying goes. Or, I’m seducing you again.”

“Not with those, you’re not. I like your real ones much better.”

Viola blushed this time. “They’re not… too small?”

“Of course they’re not!” Chrom grinned. “Is this your seduction tactic?”

Viola laughed hysterically. “ _What_? Right here, right now?  No way! Or did you forget we’re walking the streets?”

“That’s too bad.” Chrom stuck out his tongue.  

“Lean down so I can kiss you already!” Chrom eagerly obliged. “It’s alright. Let them think what they want about us. I know who I’m marrying. Hold on, is someone putting more of those posters up?”

There was a young man was somewhere in his late teens. He was freckled, golden-haired, and looking very, very uncomfortable as he worked.

“The things I do for gold…” he muttered.

“Is this your work?” Chrom asked.

The boy was so startled, he dropped his stash of rolled-up posters. “Your excellency! Gods above! Of course, it’d be you! It is er… sort of. I did it in a different style than my usual one.”

Chrom’s eyes narrowed. “Did you do this of your own volition?”

“No! It was commissioned. I didn’t want to do it at first, I’ve got nothing against your lord or ladyship, but the pay was too good to pass up. I’ve got little siblings to feed, you know?  That job has put food on our table for three days and counting. I tried to make it as unrealistic looking as possible to compensate my disgust with myself, thankfully it pleased my patrons enough for the promised coin.” 

 Viola nodded. “I see. Do you remember who commissioned the piece?”

The boy looked away for a moment. “There was no name attached to the commission itself, but the parchment with the pay was closed with this seal.”

Chrom looked it over. “Oh! I know this house, it’s an old one. Maybe I’ll ask Gaius to do some digging.”

“Oh wow, your actual style is quite good from what I can see in your bag!” Viola said. “I’m still trying to master some of those techniques, myself.”

“I didn’t know you draw, milady,” said the boy.

“I do it to relax. Here, Chrom, come look at this!”

Chrom grinned. “Wow, you’re right Vi. Here, I want to commission your next piece. You and your siblings shouldn’t go hungry for a while if I pay you up front, right?”

“W-what would please your lordship?” the boy stammered.

“If you could, I’d like a picture of Emmeryn. I feel your true style could capture her features well.”

“Y-yes, sir! I’d be honored!” said the boy. “Give me a month!”

The boy ran so fast he dropped his stash of scattered posters back on the ground.

“What’s that smile for?” Chrom asked, not bothering to hide his grin as he picked up the posters. “What did I do now?”

“You know what you-” Viola began as she lifted the scrolls with a small wind spell.

"Plegian witch!" a voice cried out.

In a swift movement, Chrom blocked the projectile that was aimed at her head with his back and pulled her close to him. Her spell fizzled out.

"Are you okay?" she gasped.

“Yeah. I’m a shield, remember?”

"Thank you, my love."

"Witch! Come out and face us!"

“Let me go, please,” Viola said.

Chrom gently loosened his grip on her hand, but kept their fingers intertwined. Viola looked at the man before her. Judging by his tattered clothes, he wasn’t of any higher class than she had been before all of this.

The man was unafraid of her. “Are you going to kill me like the law says?”

Viola glared at him. "Do not misjudge me. If I ordered you killed here, any person who shares your sentiments about me will call you a martyr and that could lead to a revolt. I will not have that on my hands. I am not Emmeryn! I am a tactician who bloomed in the midst of sacrifice and war. I fought for Ylisse once; I will fight for her again and again, so that her honest and hard-working people may live in the peace that Emmeryn gave everything for! You can think what you want about me, but that will always be my goal!”

“Let’s go back, Vi. It seems our time got cut short,” Chrom said.

 Viola pouted. “Honestly, we were having such a nice walk, too.”

Chrom squeezed her hand in silent affirmation. The silence was a surprise. She expected her attacker to have more followers in the crowd that was starting to form. She doubted he was the only one willing to throw stones at her.

"You really are amazing, you know that?" Chrom said with a smile. "We could have easily had a riot back there, but you stood your ground and quelled it with words."

"We aren't at war anymore. Solving disputes with my spells won't win me any favors.”

Chrom picked her up and put her on his shoulders. "It will take time, but I know they'll come to love and respect you on their own terms, but I’m still going to keep you up here out of harm’s way until we’re back inside."

Viola kissed his hairline. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

*

Sumia and Frederick popped out of a nearby bush.

“See? I told you they could handle themselves!” Sumia said.

“I can’t believe I missed some of those terrible posters,” Frederick said with a sigh. “And then that man threw the stone!”

“It’s okay Frederick! It was good for Chrom to do it himself,” Sumia said as she patted his shoulder.  “LET’S GO SMASH SOME NOBLE PLOTS!”

Frederick smiled. “Yes, that will cheer me up.”

*

Lissa was waiting for them when they got back to the castle. “You’re back! Finally!” She tugged at Viola’s sleeve.  “Viola, come into the garden with me!”

“There’s a garden?” Viola asked.

Lissa basically dragged her outside, she was going so fast. “Look, look! The violets are blooming!”

“Violets?” Viola asked.

Lissa clapped her hands together. “Yeah, Emm planted them a while ago and now they’re finally ready! I think it was a little before we all went to the Tournament of Khans.”

Viola paused. “Oh? They’re… yellow! How pretty! I didn’t know they could come in that color!”

Lissa grinned. “The daisies are mine, I planted them myself! Those blue hyacinths were planted by our mother after Chrom was born, and these gladioluses were always Emm’s favorite!”

Viola sat on a nearby bench. “Oh! So, it was your mother who started this garden?”

Lissa sat down beside her. “Yeah, Emm and I started to take care of it after she died. It was our shared way to remember her. I _loved_ spending that time with her, just the two of us. She’d tell me stories of when she was little, about Mom and Dad.” Lissa sighed and leaned against her. “I’m their daughter, but I had so little time to know them before they died.”

Viola returned the gesture. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Lissa sighed again. “I’m brandless, you know? I wish I could have asked Mom about that! The fact that I’m still not could _mean_ things!”

Viola gave her a puzzled look. “Do you _think_ it means anything? I mean, I always thought you and Emmeryn looked very related! You have her same face shape, like you both took after the same parent.”

“Huh? I _do_? Well, Dad! But Dad was Dad, so I really… don’t know?”

Viola nodded. “Based off of what Chrom told me before, I think your father suffered from paranoia.”

“Oh, probably. Emm always said he was never the same after he knew Grima would be coming back. There’s no way he could have held the great Marth’s sword, and faced an ancient dragon and lived. When I think about what he did to all those people, to our _own_ people, I just… I’m sorry, Viola! I’ll admit I was a little scared when I first found out you were from Plegia! But only a little tiny bit! Heck, I’m even a little bit sorry to Gangrel, too!”

 Viola baulked. “You _are_?”

“I can’t help wondering if what my dad did helped make him a Mad King.”

“You could ask him, if he ever comes crashing down from the stratosphere. Though, I doubt he’d give you an honest answer.”

Lissa gave a snorty laugh. “Now I’m just imagining him floating aimlessly and…! I mean, I’ve seen my brother break all sorts of things, but _wow_! He’s gotten really strong! You know, I’ve come a long way too, since I met you!”  

“Are you really okay with this? With me? I know I can never be a replacement for your beloved sister, but…”

“Woah, woah, woah! I don’t want you to be a replacement! I just want you to be you. I mean, you’re already my friend, and you make my brother happy! That plenty! I do want to think of some things we can do together, too! You may be his fiancée, but Chrom can’t hog you all the time! What? Were you worried I suddenly wouldn’t like you anymore?”

Viola looked genuinely startled. “Yes? I mean… I’m taking your big brother away from you, right?”

“ _Huh_? We’ll all still be in the same castle! I’ll see him, and you, every day!” she laughed again. “Has your self-esteem always been like this, or is this a curse thing?”

“Umm…”

“Sorry! Don’t answer. Sometimes I forget you still don’t know so much about yourself. I really like who you are now, though!”

“It sounds like you don’t know a lot about yourself, either, but no matter what, you’ll always be Princess Lissa to me. I mean, when I woke up that day, you smiled at me so sweetly, and for a split second, I wasn’t scared that I was going to die horribly for being on the wrong side of the border. I know it won’t be the same as it was with Emmeryn, but may I help you tend this garden? I’ve always liked flowers, we never saw many growing up, and I… want to be sure I have time that’s just for you and me.”

Lissa hugged her tightly. “Awww! Of course! Oh! Oh! You should join me and Maribelle for tea sometimes! It’d be a good way for us to talk about the goings on in the haildom.”

“Ah, right, she wants to become a magistrate. She’d be a good source for the kingdoms current laws, as well as etiquette lessons. I wonder if she’ll hep me or if she was just saying that?”

“Of course she will, she likes you, you know! Say, if she actually does complete her study, what will you do?”

Viola grinned. “If she goes through the schooling like every man before her, I’m not going to pass her up on the position just because it’s never been done before. She’s smart and talented enough, that only an idiot would deny her just based on her sex.”

Lissa grinned back. “You’d be surprised at the amount of idiots in our court.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll meet them. I’m the foreign witch who seduced the innocent Prince, after all.”

“Oh, you saw the…. uh, interesting posters? Frederick and Sumia must have missed some when they were out earlier.”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t expecting any backlash to our engagement, but… it takes some getting used to. Wait, they were out earlier?”

 Lissa laughed warmly. “Of course they were! It happens more often than you think. Maribelle’s father had his… uh, backside majorly ballooned in one famous rendering, after a particularly notorious trial, and she’s _never_ let that go. They weren’t exactly nice to Emm in the beginning, either.”

“But she was… just a child when she took the throne, wasn’t she? They didn’t...”

“No, they had enough sense to not be graphic as they were with you, but that didn’t stop them from depicting her as either a demon’s spawn, or a puppet queen. Nobody had faith in a child as a true ruler, but everyone trusted the Hierarch, and we both know how that turned out.”

“Right.” Viola thought for a moment. “So even she had to struggle to gain respect, huh?”

“Oh yeah, I didn’t understand it then, but I promise I’ll be there for you two in any way I can.”

“I like this.”

“I thought you might,” Lissa said. “Do you want to go ahead with the plan when Chrom goes away on that diplomacy mission?”

“Seems like as good a time as any.”

“Are you _sure_ about this?”

“Yes. If I don’t do something, nothing will change.”


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viola is put on trial for witchcraft.

The diplomacy mission was real. At least, it was real enough that Frederick wanted Chrom wanted to go to it. It was the advisors who objected to Viola coming along. That was the first clue, but she and Lissa pretended not to notice it.

“A Queen must learn to lead in the absence of her King,” one had remarked.

Chrom didn’t like it; he protested it the entire time, but he still got on Sumia’s Pegasus, even if Frederick had to physically hoist him on. She and Viola made sure to wave the two of them off and wish them well.

The prep work was now.

Nothing happened on the first day of Chrom’s absence, so Viola called Grant to come and visit. Her brother seemed to know something was going on, but he couldn’t quite place it. He didn’t seem to trust the advisors either. When he pressed her, she simply smiled and told him not to worry.

So of course, he worried more than he had previously, but Lissa wouldn’t say anything either.

Lissa knew it was time when Viola requested to sleep alone that night. If the advisors were going to do anything, they would do it then.

*

The council acted in the dead of night, as predicted. Still, it was hard to see Viola barefoot and in chains, groggily being dragged before the court officials. Lissa never thought much about prison attire before, but that white dress they forced her in looked stiff, and ill-suited for protecting against the oncoming winter cold.

“What’s her crime?”

Even at o’dark in the morning, Maribelle’s hair was perfect, though the rest of her was more than slightly disheveled. Lissa wasn’t sure how her best friend had figured out what they were up to, but somehow, she’d managed, and immediately appointed herself Viola’s lawyer.

“Witchcraft,” said the prosecutor.

Maribelle face scrunched. “ _What_? Mages haven’t been persecuted for hundreds of years! I’m just as much of a mage as she is! Do you intend to persecute us all, or is it just her, because her hair is too dark a shade for your liking?”

Lissa may have done a small cheer then.

Still, they argued, and debated, for what seemed like hours. Maribelle was good, far better than anyone predicted, but still, Viola was found guilty and sentenced to hang.

It was raining when they went to the execution grounds. Had they called out the whole haildom for this? How many of these people were going to catch colds by being in the dark and rain?

"See! Look at how even the sky wails for the loss of our beloved Exalt!" proclaimed a high priest of Naga’s temple. Lissa did notice Libra was among the clergy. Good. He was an ace they needed.

"Confess your crime to the gods, Plegian witch! Admit that you and your people murdered her!" said the high priest.

Lissa was worried now, this had gone much farther, and become more dangerous than she anticipated, but Viola asked her to trust in her.

So, she did.

Instead of saying anything, Viola began to sing. At first, Lissa couldn’t make out the words, she was singing so softly.

"What is this...?" one of the advisors murmured.

Plegian. She was singing in Plegian.

"This is the path you choose to take, huh?” Grant murmured. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “Idiot, you're just going to get hurt!” he shouted. “They won’t understand! Stop Vi! You don’t need to do this!"

Viola’s voice was gentle, but now, she sang with as much strength as she could give. She held out her hands as if she welcomed whatever was to come. Her magic flowed all around her, somewhat protecting her from the rocks and rotting vegetation being pelted at her from the crowd. Even if something stuck her, she kept singing, on and on.

"Grant, what's she singing?" Lissa asked. With a little concentration, she could fully hear it now. She had never heard the language used like this before. Most of the Plegian she’d ever heard were harsh words at a shouting volume.

"It's a song of ours that mourns the loss of a loved one after they have passed on," Grant said softly.

Emm.

"Can you... you maybe translate it for me?"

Grant paused. "Let's see, uh, 'my tears become the rain, as your soul become the wind. Sorrow weighs me down, like the sand pulling at my feet. I am here, yet you are not. Still, I wish you well, on this new journey you take without me. I remain here, so please keep your eyes on me'. Obviously, it loses some of its impact with this kind of dry translations, but that's the meaning behind it. "

"It's really haunting. It sounds like her voice is crying."

"Well, it's meant to be sung while still in mourning. It allows the ones left behind to be able to grieve through their voice. The idea is that the wind carries the words to the loved one when the rest of the world is quiet. I suppose this… humiliating public display is her way of apologizing to you, and to your people.”

Lissa could no longer hide the shock on her face.

Grant smiled gently. “Even if she was not the one to actually kill Emmeryn, she still feels the weight of her loss, and more than that, she still misses her deeply. I know she does, because I do, too. She'll keep singing that song until a sign from above says her words were heard by the one who is missed. It’s how we do things."

Lissa gasped. “Then this storm...?"

"Is working against her. I have no doubt having her trial on this day was planned that way by the elders of the council. The symbolism is too good for their witch narrative. Besides, even if she's withstands the trial, she might well catch a pneumonia and die from it. She can’t become their queen then. We Plegians are still not liked by your people. Despite all the good she's done during the war, she's still being made an example."

 "I didn't realize..." Lissa began. “I mean, I knew Viola knew about the tension between our nations and we wanted to try and…, but when she said that she wanted to… I-I wasn’t expecting this!”

Grant put a hand on Lissa’s shoulder. "My sister has always been like this, and you are still young to the ways of the world. I’d imagine Emmeryn did her best to shield you from some of these harsher truths. I can tell them to you someday, but only if you wish to hear them.”

"Tell me one day, please, when I’m a little stronger.”

“I will.”

“You want to sing for Emm too, don’t you, Grant?”

“Lady Emmeryn was always kind to me when she’d come to the temple. We would pray together, you know, for our families. It’s not fair for my little sister to shoulder the burden of mourning for her alone!” Grant dashed towards the balcony. He leaned as far as he could against it, and sang out loudly along with his sister.

Lissa smiled a little. Grant was a good big brother. It was pretty now that she could hear it up close.

 There was a commotion below. Lissa watched as Mustafa pushed his way onto the scaffold and was shielding Viola from the projectiles as he sang with her. Tharja, too, was strongly singing the song of mourning, for a woman she’d likely never even met. Her pose was much like Viola’s, but Lissa doubted anyone would dare to strike her with her dark magic protecting her.

Lissa could hear it so clearly now. Scattered throughout the crowd were the voices of Runa, Tielle, Mustafa’s family, and many other Plegian refugees they had saved during the war. It wasn't just Viola's voice mourning the loss of Emmeryn; it was a strong chorus. These were the people Father was so afraid of?

Lissa put her hand out. The rain was becoming warmer.

“‘My tears become the rain,’ huh?”

 “Princess, what do you want us to do? It’s turning into a riot!”

Riot? Yeah right!  

“Let them mourn!” Lissa proclaimed. “Emm would want them to do it their way!”

To her surprise, they listened to her.

After a time, the storm clouds parted. Grant smiled and wiped his eyes. “Look! Look! She heard her!”

Libra smiled, too. "It seems the gods above have reached their verdict! The black spots on this woman's soul have been seen and judged. Viola of Plegia, Daughter of the Dragon, the gods have chosen to wash the blood on your soul. It seems Exalt Emmeryn has forgiven you."

Viola dropped to her knees, clearly exhausted.

“Come this way, my Queen,” Frederick said. “Forgive me for arriving so late, it took all my power to elude my pursuers. And trying to push past the crowd without being forceful was a challenge.”

“Thank you, Frederick.”

“Please never do anything like that ever again, Viola. That was very hard to watch, even if it was mostly a ruse. My heart rested in my throat the entire time.”

"Wait, you _tricked_ them?" Grant said.

 “Well, yeah, of course we did! You didn’t really think I’d allow Vi to die, did you? Sure, I wasn’t expecting people to throw things at her, but this was _our_ plan, not theirs!”

Grant looked a little startled, but his smile after was genuine. “I… wasn’t sure you’d be strong enough to hold your own against the will of the council. Forgive me, Lissa.”

“I even had a Rescue staff ready in case of emergency! Grant, my people have done terrible things to yours in the past. I mean, I always felt my father was cold and distant, but I never realized how much harm he'd actually caused. In a lot of ways, he's still causing it, we both wanted to for our people be able to move past that, so we came up with this."

"That's not good," Grant said.

The sky was darkening again.

“What is that? A thunderstorm?” Lissa asked.

“Not exactly, that, dear princess, it might look like natural lightening, but is a _big_ Thoron spell. Even if it hits its intended target, the aftershock will be immense. And these idiots are drawing it closer because of that giant metal pole they were probably going to hang my sister!”

Or perhaps, someone had sent it to be sure she would not survive her trial?

“Oh gosh! We have to do something to stop it!” Lissa prepared to jump down from the balcony. Warp staff at the ready.

“Lissa! Wait!” Grant called.

"Hey! Geezers! We can duke it out politically all you want after this, but right now we have to make sure everyone gets the heck out of this square!" Lissa called.

Lissa grabbed Viola’s hand. “What do we need to do, Viola?”

“We'll need… some grounders… and all the civilians to get somewhere safe."

“You aren’t planning on doing something risky, are you?”

“Ah, well… Chrom’s not here to scold me so… maybe a little…”

 Lissa grinned. “I knew it! I won’t tell, so let me help you a little longer! Maribelle! Ricken! Change of plans!"

 “Viola, darling, if you’re going to do what I think you are, you’d best let me help, too,” Maribelle said, climbing up onto the scaffold. “I’m still your council after all.”

“But Maribelle!” Viola began.

“But nothing! I meant every word I said in that courtroom, Viola! Farce or not! Besides, my two most important people will insist on helping you, I’ll be damned if I sit back like a damsel and watch! Did you forget I am a Valkyrie?”

“No, of course not.”

"Do you have a plan, Viola?" Ricken asked hopefully.

"I do, it's a bit risky, but I think we can pull it off together with all our different magics,” Viola said. “Tharja! Are you still close? I need you!"

 Tharja materialized from the shadow under her. "Give me an order, Viola."

"We're going to absorb the spell, all of us,” she said.

“I see, so we shall fight magic with magic,” Miriel said.

 “What took you so long?” Maribelle asked.

“Vaike insisted we exchange words before I joined you. Only, it was less about words, and more about saliva. It was all very curious.”

“That brute KISSED you?” Maribelle exclaimed. “Does he need to be taught a lesson in manners?”

Miriel blushed. “Perhaps, but that is another matter for another time.  Ahem, Viola, I’d imagine you want all of us to cast Ward to lessen the impact, yes?”

Viola nodded. “Right! In a big bubble!”

“Yes, that shape should provide ample protection to the area of impact. I suggest those of us in proper armor actually cast the spell. Ward is harmless, but those of us in nothing but day clothes will suffer after effects.”

“I _was_ in my normal Shepherd gear before the council members forced me into this stupid trial dress!” Viola protested.

“Be that as it may, darling, the only protection you have between your body and the spell is that dress, and it looks poorly made at that,” Maribelle said.

“Fine! I’ll act as a channel for the magic instead of actually casting anything. Is everyone okay with holding hands for a bit?”

“I call this hand,” Tharja said as she grabbed one of Viola’s hands.

“I want the other one, then!” Lissa said.

“Honestly, Lissa, darling,” Maribelle said as she took Lissa’s free hand. “Ricken?”

“I’m not going to let go of your hand Maribelle, promise! Miss Miriel, may I have your hand, please?”

“How polite of you to ask me. Of course, you may. Everyone, while I agree saving as many lives as possible is ideal, try not to use up so much magic that you kill yourself in the process,” Miriel glared at Viola. “Is that clear, my dearest student?”

“Yes, teacher! I’ll give you all as much magic as I can spare. Okay, deep breath, I hope this is enough.”

“I promise to put this wonderful gift to good use,” Tharja said. “Ah, it even tastes sweet.”

“Wow Vi, my staff has so much magic in it now, it’s _glowing!_ ” Lissa said.

Viola paused. “You just called me ‘Vi.’”

“Is that okay?” Lissa asked. “Chrom calls you that all the time now, and I like it!”

“It’s very okay!” Viola said with a smile. “Is everyone ready? We only have one shot to do this right!”

“Ready when you are!” Ricken said.

The raw magical energy crackled and fizzed. It was strange to see the very different magics merge and pull apart at the same time. The natural magic was the base spell. It melded naturally with the ground and the air, widening the area the spell could cover. Lissa’s own magic worked with Libra’s and Maribelle’s a protective coating to keep the magic flowing. Tharja’s dark magic was the final layer, acting as the first line of defense against the bigger spell. It was their hope that the Nosferatu spell would eat at the magical energy of the Thoron spell, thereby weakening the power of it.

Lissa glanced behind her. It seems everyone who came to watch the trial had left the square.

The silence while they waited was maddening.

And then… impact.

There was a loud BOOM as the spell came down and a great white flash as the spell broke apart after being ravaged by the dark magic. Even in smaller chunks it still bounced wildly before being absorbed, but aside from some ringing in her ears and a slightly shocked feeling, everyone was still standing.

Dawn was finally allowed to break.

Slowly, people congregated in the square again.

“We did it. We really, really did it!” Ricken said. “Maribelle, will you help me find my mom and dad?”

“Of course, darling,” Maribelle said as she let him lean on her. “Easy now, that was a lot of magic you cast. They’ll be so proud of you! Of course, absolutely nobody is prouder than I am!”

“Ugh. I feel faint,” Miriel remarked.

“MIRIEL!”

That was Vaike’s voice booming across the entire square.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re okay? You’re really okay?”

“Though I am not standing anymore, yes, I appear to be well, if slightly woozy.”

“Is it okay for me to lift you?”

“Granted.”

With ease, Vaike lifted her off the ground and just straight up carried her in his big arms. “Me and the boys at our usual haunt want to pour you a big ‘thank you’ drink for what you just did, Mir.”

Tharja had already poofed off, and Libra and Grant were checking on the citizens.

“On behalf of milord, I offer this to both of you,” Frederick flicked their foreheads. “Never do that again.”

“Frederick!” Sumia’s voice called from above.

Frederick had on the biggest, sweetest, smile when he heard the sound of her voice. “Hello, darling! I didn’t think you’d be back so soon! Did the meeting go well?”

Sumia landed and dismounted. She immediately came over to give him a big hug. “Funny thing, there was none! We _really_ need to have a chat with our advisors!”

Frederick eagerly returned the hug. “Oh really? Surprise, surprise.”

Chrom dismounted the Pegasus far less gracefully. He missed his step down and fell off, but once on the ground he scrambled over to them and hugged them both close.

“We flew back as soon as Marth told me what was going on! Sumia's flower fortune was right about something bad happening! Galeforce is a really amazing skill. We made it back in half the time."

"Marth… did what now?" Viola asked, her voice was nearly gone.

"She was surprisingly panicked. Something tells me whatever changes she wanted to make to the future; this was not one of them. What is even going on?”

“Oh, just a standard witch trial, you know,” Lissa said.

“Witch?” Chrom paused, stood, and looked at all the refugees in the crowd, then at Viola. "You did this for them, didn't you?"

Busted.

Viola only shrank a little when she knew they were caught in the act. She always looked so small compared to Chrom, especially when he picked her up as easily as he did just then. "O-of course I did. If I didn't make some sort of public apology for what happened that day then... They deserve to live their lives peacefully, like she wished. So, Lissa and I, well, I decided that I could be the one to…. You know…"

Chrom gave a knowing look. "Bear the brunt of the public's anger. Uh-huh. That has ‘Vi’ written all over it. Ugh! if I knew something like this would happen, I never _ever_ would have left you alone!”

“Which is why they wanted to force you to. I’m okay, just a little cold, honest! Lissa had my back the entire time. Achoo!”

“You’re both are under castle arrest as soon as I get you inside, but thank you all for protecting our people in my absence. Vi, Lissa, I’m going to get a little loud now.”

Oh! This was promising!

Chrom's expression darkened. "I go away on one diplomacy mission, which was _fake_ , by the way, and I come back to _this_? Why is she on trial? What was her crime? ANSWER ME!"

"F-for the murder of the Exalt and for the... bewitchment of your heart," answered a councilman.

The crowds murmured various different answers of their own.

"Gods above, Viola didn't kill my sister! She did everything in her power to try and _save_ her and us! If you absolutely need proof, we can do a memory spell! If my foolishness and failings on that day must be displayed for all to see to prove you’re innocent, so be it!”’

“Chrom…” Viola began.

“We can use my memories! I don’t mind!” Lissa said with a wave. “It’s okay, Vi. My brother is right, I want our people to know what happened that day.”

“If you’re sure,” Chrom said.

“I am, but b-be gentle, please!” Lissa stuttered.

 Libra smiled warmly. “Don’t worry, sweet princess, I wouldn’t dare harm a single thought in your head.”

Well, if _he_ was going to do it, she didn’t mind one bit!

The crowd gasped in amazement as Lissa’s memories flowed out before them into a strange visual shape.

“Forgive me, I can’t watch it right now,” Viola said as she hid her face. “It still hurts so much.”

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” Chrom said. “You don’t have to watch it. Gods, I want to hit my past self for being an idiot. And there’s the warp spell. Wow, Sumia! That was a really impressive midair dive you did! Have I thanked you for that recently? I feel like I should say thank you again.”

Sumia grinned. “You’re welcome, again!”

“Now do you understand?” Lissa asked as her tears fell. “Viola did her very best that day! Emm would be so sad to see her people treating our friend this way! So what if she came from Plegia? She’s still a Shepard, and she makes my brother happy! Stop bullying her like King Gangrel did, you big meanies!”

The crowd was silent.

“Uh, did I say too much?” Lissa asked as she looked at the stunned crowd.

“You took the words right out of my mouth, more or less,” Chrom said. “Lissa, you still have the authority to marry people, right?”

“Uh-huh! _Oh_!”

“Vi, do you mind if we forgo the formality and have Lissa just marry us right now?”

“Of course I don’t mind, but are you going to be okay with what will happen after we do this? You’re the new ruler now, you know.”

“I know, and I want the woman I fell in love with to be able to _be_ my wife.”

Lissa grinned. Her brother just sent the entire haildom into the _biggest_ tizzy!

“Get Inside, all of you!” Frederick said, not so gently pushing them all towards the castle. “Honestly, I’m worried enough about Lady Viola catching a terrible cold, I don’t need the entire royal line succumbing to illness!”

“I’ll make warm soup for everyone!” Sumia declared. “Frederick, will you make the tea? You have the best blends for preventing colds.”

“Frederick? Can I ask you to extend your soup and tea offer to the council and see if any of them are _particularly_ ill? Miriel is always telling Vi that casting a spell that big is a bad idea. I’d imagine it’s the same for even more experienced mages. We need to have a serious talk about how things are going to be done around here from now on.”


End file.
